Family Bonds
by I. M. Frelling-Wonko
Summary: Jacek is dead and Vala is forced to deal with what he left behind.
1. Prologue

Okay, so I don't usually post unfinished works on here but I've been working on this for a while and I'm stuck. I've got a prologue and 7 chapters finished and I'll be posting them all within the next few days. I guess I'm hoping to get some inspiration so comments are VERY welcome.

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**Disclaimer:** I don't own any part of the _Stargate_ franchise, more's the pity.

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**Spoiler Warings:** Some for Season 10 Episode 18 _Family Ties._

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**Prologue**

Hank Landry stared at the young woman seated across from him in his office. She hadn't said a word, nor had she moved an inch in the last five minutes. And, considering this was Vala Mal Doran, the lack of action disturbed him greatly. He'd expected _some_ sort of reaction to the news he'd just delivered. Maybe not an emotional outburst or a crying jag, but _something_. Not this emotionless mask she'd donned. He knew she'd had some issues with her father but, dammit, he'd just told her the man was dead! And she just sat there as if he'd told her nothing more consequential than that he expected rain today. This couldn't be healthy. He knew he should call Dr. Hutchinson or Carolyn to come take a look at her but, unfortunately, he had something else to tell her and it couldn't wait. Hank sighed and paused to gather his thoughts.

Eleven hours ago the SGC had received word that Jacek Mal Doran had been killed by the Lucian Alliance in a deal gone bad. He'd sent SG-3 out to confirm the information and they had. The problem was, they'd come back with even more troubling news and Hank had to figure out the best way to let Vala know about the...things Jacek had left behind. He knew he had to be careful with his next words. As strong as Vala appeared, Hank knew she could be extremely vulnerable, especially where her father was concerned. There were times when she reminded him of his own daughter. Independent, self-confident, yet always seeking the approval of the ones she cared about most. In the three years since she'd joined Stargate Command, he'd watched her grow, saw as the hardened shell she wore as armour finally cracked to reveal the kind, loving woman beneath. He didn't want to see all of her hard work crumble in one afternoon and this could break her. With another sigh, Landry decided to jump in with the truth.

"Vala." he said gently and her eyes snapped to meet his at the use of her first name. "There's something else you need to know. Jacek left you some...things. Things that need to be taken care of."

"So?" Vala finally spoke, albeit in a voice completely devoid of emotion. "Just take them to Area 51. I'm sure they're rigged to blow up or something, knowing Jacek. I want nothing from that man."

"Unfortunately, it's not quite that simple." he said as she stood to leave. He motioned her back to her seat and waited for her to take it before he continued. "These things are not what one would call personal effects. Not so easily gotten rid of."

"Well, what are they? If I must be burdened with something of Jacek's, I'd at least like to know what I'm getting into. That way I can unload it as quickly as possible and get on with my life."

"As I said, it's not that simple. These things...Well, they're not exactly things. They're people." Hank watched as the first signs of emotion flitted across Vala's grey eyes. But it was gone too quickly for him to properly analyse so he continued. "When I sent SG-3 to check out the information, they found two young girls living in the house owned by Jacek. The villagers told them that the girls are his daughters. SG-3 brought them back here and I had Carolyn run a DNA test. Vala, they're your sisters."

Landry sat forward at his desk and waited for her reaction. It wasn't much, but he saw a single tear streak down her face. He only hoped this was a good thing.

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**All comments are welcome.**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: **I forgot to mention the timeline earlier. It takes place post-_AOT_, and probably post-_Continuum_. Also, there will be some D/V (of course) but I'm not sure how much yet.

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**Chapter 1**

Standing in the observation room above the infirmary, Vala tried to take in everything General Landry had told her. Jacek was dead, killed by the Lucian Alliance. That didn't really surprise her. She'd always figured his past would catch up to him someday. He was just so sloppy. She'd been prepared for that particular blow. No, what shook her was learning she had two half-sisters she'd known nothing about. Why hadn't he told her? Granted, they hadn't spoken spoken in almost twenty years, but still, he could have found her. He could have mentioned something when he came to Earth to work his scam. But no, she likely wouldn't have believed him. Hell, she didn't want to believe it now, but she'd seen the DNA results. She'd seen the girls. Kierda and Zari, ages twelve and seven. That's all Carolyn had been able to get out of them. But it was a lot more than she'd known an hour ago. After her meeting with the general, she'd made straight for the infirmary. She'd been told that SG-3 had found the bodies of Jacek and the girl's mother behind the local tavern. Kierda and Zari had been at the house, thankfully unharmed. Apparently, even the Alliance hadn't known of their existence. Otherwise, they likely wouldn't be here. The Alliance didn't like loose ends. She should know, she'd been one once.

Vala stared down at them. They were sleeping and Vala was glad of it. She wasn't sure what she was going to say, or do, for that matter. She couldn't take care of them, that was a given. She lived on a military base on a planet whose mass population didn't even know aliens existed. Was she really willing to leave her home for two kids she hadn't even known about a few hours ago? And what did she know of raising children, anyway? She hadn't exactly had the best upbringing herself. Jacek had never been around, her mother died when she was twelve, and her stepmother...Well, Vala didn't even want to think about _her_. Hell, Vala's own daughter had led an army of religious zealots hell-bent on inter-galactic domination! What did that say about her parenting skills? Okay, so technically that one wasn't her fault. Adria had been brainwashed from birth. In fact, she'd been created for the sole purpose of leading said army. But Vala knew she'd always feel guilty that she hadn't been able to do something to stop her. No, she had no right to even _think_ about raising children. She'd just have to figure something else out. They'd be better off without her.

Daniel stood in the doorway to the observation deck watching Vala. The general had told the team the news and he'd been chosen to keep an eye on her. Not that he was complaining. He'd have volunteered anyway. He cared about Vala. Really cared, but he hadn't told her that yet. And now didn't exactly seem like a good time. He watched her face as she stared down at her sisters. He still couldn't quite wrap his mind around the idea. He'd always thought of Vala as being on her own, alone in the universe, like he used to be. And Jacek didn't count. From what he'd gathered, the man hadn't been much of a father to his eldest daughter. Why hadn't Jacek told her? Thinking about Vala's father only proved to anger him. The man was a grade-A jerk and, even in death, he was causing trouble for Vala. Daniel tried to tamp down his anger. He knew it would do Vala no good and it was his job to make sure she was okay. His ire would only upset her.

He turned his gaze back to her. She stood completely still except for a slight fidgeting in her hands. He knew what was going through her mind. He could read her like ancient text. She was going to run. Maybe not physically but he could see she was trying to come up with every reason why she couldn't care for her sisters. He knew it wasn't selfishness on her part, but fear. She feared she wouldn't be able to take on such a responsibility. Feared she'd mess up. Feared she wouldn't be good enough.

Vala knew he was there. She'd sensed his presence the moment he'd arrived, but hadn't bothered to acknowledge him. She knew why he'd come. He'd been sent by the rest of the team to make certain she didn't do something stupid. And maybe to keep her from jumping off the deep end. The former she could almost guarantee not to do. As for the latter...

"Daniel." she said, trying to de-rail that particular train of thought.

"Vala." He made his way over and stood directly behind her, looking down into the infirmary.

"Come to check up on me?"

"Something like that. Have you spoken to Dr. Lam yet?'

"Yes, she gave me the results of the DNA test. They're definitely Jacek's."

"Have you met them yet?"

"No."

"Are you going to?"

"I'm not sure, Daniel. Haven't decided yet."

"Vala, they're family." he said and gently turned her to face him.

"So? That word doesn't mean much where I come from. It certainly never mattered to Jacek." She knew she sounded bitter but couldn't help it.

"It may not have meant anything to you a few years ago, but that's no longer true. You have family here at the SGC. Cam, Sam, Teal'c...Me." He made sure to emphasise that one. "We're your family and I know you'd never turn your back on us."

"How can you be so sure, Daniel?" She lowered her head, refusing to look him in the eye, but he gently tilted it back up until she had no choice.

"Because I know you and I can't see you walking away from this, from _them_." When she opened her mouth to argue, he cut her off. "Listen, Vala, they've just lost their mother and father. You're all they have left. Are you telling me you can just turn your back on your own flesh and blood without a second glance?"

Vala sighed, bowing her head to her chest and took a deep breath before answering. "I don't know, Daniel. I just don't know _what_ to do any more."

"Well, whatever you decide, I'll be right here beside you." He wrapped his arms around her and she snuggled close. "I'll always be here for you. You can count on it."

Vala smiled briefly, sadly, understanding the truth in his words. He'd always be here for her, no matter what. She just wished she could be so certain of herself.

()()()()

Kierda stared up at the two people in the room above her. She'd awoken a while ago to see the woman staring down at her and wondered about the intensity of her gaze. She'd been studying them. But, to what end, she wasn't sure. It made Kierda wary. _She_ made Kierda wary. There was something familiar about her but she couldn't put her finger on it. She was jolted from her thoughts when she felt someone climbing into the bed with her. Zari snuggled under the blanket and Kierda pulled her close. No matter who these people were or what they wanted, Kierda would protect Zari. She'd made that vow when her little sister was born and she'd kept the promise for seven years. Now would be no different.

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**A/N2: Last chapter for today. More tomorrow.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"You ready?" Daniel asked.

Vala nodded and tried to shake off her nervousness. She'd been up all night, trying to figure out what to do. Finally, at around 0300, she'd decided to at least meet the girls. She still wasn't sure what she was going to say or do, but she knew she had to at least try. When she'd told Daniel of her plans at breakfast this morning, she hadn't expected him to volunteer to come with her. But he'd refused to take no for an answer and she was eternally grateful. She felt the presence of his hand laying on her lower back and sensed her tension leaving at the contact. Squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin, she walked into the infirmary to meet her sisters.

Kierda sat in the bed, holding Zari close, looking ready to fight should anyone get too near. Vala cautiously pulled up a chair and sat down. Daniel stood behind her and gently squeezed her shoulders. Once again, Vala was grateful for his presence and quickly gave him a small smile before turning back to the girls.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Kierda asked suspiciously.

The tone of her voice made Vala want to cry. She understood all to well how someone so young could grow to be so guarded. She'd been hoping Jacek had treated Kierda and Zari better than he had her, but apparently he hadn't changed at all.

"My name is Vala and this is Daniel. We just want to talk to you."

"Vala?" Zari's head shot up and her eyes grew wide. "Like the princess?"

Vala looked to Daniel questioningly but he didn't seem to have any idea what the little girl was talking about either. "What princess, darling?" Vala ventured to ask.

"The one in the stories Daddy tells us." The little girl jumped up onto her knees, a huge grin on her face.

"Jac-Your father told you stories about a princess names Vala?" She could feel the tears pricking her eyes but refused to let them fall. Kierda was already watching her a little too closely. She focussed back on Zari in time to see her nod excitedly. "Would you tell me about her?"

"Okay!" Zari preened at the attention and Vala couldn't help smiling. "Princess Vala is very beautiful with long, dark hair and kind, gentle eyes. She used to live in a wonderful castle with the king and queen. The king would take her on grand adventures and they were very happy. But one day the queen died and the king was very sad. He had to be away a lot and the evil step-mother moved in. She didn't like the princess at all and sent her far away. The king searched and searched for her. He found her living in a temple, a prisoner of a wicked sorceress but he couldn't get to her. Eventually he found someone to free her. He tried to get to her after but she ran away and he never saw her again. But he knew she was still having grand adventures so he was happy."

Vala stood abruptly as the tears started falling. She could do nothing to stop them so she fled the infirmary. She remembered the Princess Vala stories from her own childhood. Whenever he was home, Jacek would regale her with them and she'd hang onto his every word. He'd turn his jaunts across the galaxy into wonderful adventures and she'd loved them. She'd actually begged him to take her with him and she'd enjoyed their time together. But how much of the story he'd told her sisters could she believe? Had he searched for her? Was he the one responsible for the uprising? Had she blamed him for everything wrong in her life when in reality it was he who set her free?

Suddenly she was exhausted as she found herself outside her quarters. She went in, fell onto the bed and was instantly asleep.

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Meanwhile in the infirmary, Daniel was trying to console Zari.

"Did I say something wrong?" Zari asked in a small voice as she cuddled into Kierda's arms.

"Oh no, Zari." Daniel searched for the best way to explain the situation to the little girl. "Your story...It reminded Vala of...someone."

"I didn't mean to make her sad."

"She'll be okay. Why don't you tell _me _some stories?"

Zari brightened at the request and Daniel felt as if he'd been handed a temporary reprieve. He knew it was temporary because he felt Kierda's suspicious gaze on him. He knew the look in her eyes. He'd seen it so often from her sister when she'd first arrived on Earth. He didn't see it too often any more and it saddened him to think of a child Kierda's age wearing it. He felt a pain in his chest when he realised that Vala likely wore the same look at this girl's age. No one should be so guarded at such a young age and he cursed Jacek once again for being the one to put it there. Pushing away such thoughts, he focussed back on Zari. She was in the middle of a story about the heroic feats of Princess Vala and a smile grew on his face. Her narrative was vivid and colourful and she became more animated as the suspense grew. If Kierda made him picture Vala as a teenager, then Zari was how he pictured her as a child. Innocent, enthusiastic and completely without guile. Before the evils of the universe got their hands on her. It made him want to fight to keep Zari like this. What scared him, though, was that he wanted to hurt everyone responsible for hurting her big sister.

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**A/N: **I know, Jacek was a jerk, but I didn't want to make him out to be a complete monster. He had to have some good qualities, right?


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Glancing over at Zari, Kierda was happy to see she had finally fallen asleep. The man, Daniel, had been gone for a few hours now but it had taken this long to get the child to calm down. She was, to say the least, enamoured by him. Kierda couldn't say she blamed her, either. He was handsome and he listened to Zari's childish nonsense as if he were truly interested. Maybe he had children of his own and was used to humouring them. That was neither here nor there, though. Right now she had to figure out how to get off this planet. Daniel had called it Earth, home of the Tau'ri. She'd heard stories of these people and what they'd done to free the galaxy of the Goa'uld. She'd never thought to meet them, though. Now she was being held prisoner by them and couldn't figure out why. Okay, so maybe they weren't exactly locked up and everyone had been rather kind, but she didn't like the idea of being trapped on an unknown world. She'd always hated feeling trapped. Suddenly feeling too boxed in, she surreptitiously glanced around the infirmary. It was dark and there were no nurses or doctors around so she quietly slipped out of bed and checked on Zari before making her way to the door. Sticking her head out, she noticed one guard. Definitely not a prison, she thought. Slipping out of the rooms, she kept to the shadows as she went in the opposite direction.

She'd gotten very good at sneaking around. Sometimes late at night, after she was certain Zari was asleep, she'd leave the house and walk. Just walk. It was the only time of the day she didn't have to be a parent to her little sister. It was the only time she'd ever felt free. Tonight she wandered for a bit until she came to a corridor with a few doors lining the walls. She idly wondered where they went when she saw two familiar figures exiting one of the rooms. Daniel and Vala. They seemed to be involved in a serious discussion but Kierda couldn't hear what was being said. Instead, she focussed her attention on Vala. Again, the feeling of familiarity washed over her and she wondered at it. To the best of her knowledge, she'd never met Vala before. It could just be that her name was the same as the princess in her father's stories. But she'd had this feeling long before she'd ever heard her name. There was something going on and Kierda was determined to get to the bottom of it. She inched closer, keeping to the shadows as best she could. She didn't think she'd made a sound but suddenly Vala's head whipped in her direction. Kierda stopped breathing for a moment and made herself as small as possible. After a few moments, Vala looked away and resumed her argument with Daniel. Kierda was now close enough to hear every word.

"Daniel, this is not up for discussion." Vala was saying. "I've made my decision and I expect you to respect that." She turned to walk away but Daniel caught her arm.

"I can't believe you're willing to just walk away from them, to abandon them. They _need_ you."

"They don't need me, Daniel. They have each other, which is a lot more than I had."

"Dammit, Vala, you're all they have left. They've already lost so much. They shouldn't have to lose you, too."

"They won't as long as they don't know who I am. What if I were to die? What would happen to them then?"

"What's going to happen to them now if you walk away?"

"Do you think I _want_ to do this, Daniel? I don't have a choice. I have nothing to offer them. They'd be better off without me."

"How do you know if you don't try?"

"What makes you the expert on this?"

"Because I've been there!"

Kierda was shocked by the vehemence in Daniel's voice and she could see Vala was, too, as she took a step back. Daniel sighed and rubbed a hand over his face before continuing.

"I know what it's like to feel as if everyone has abandoned me. After my parents died, I was forced into foster care because my grandfather didn't want me. He thought I'd be better off without him."

Vala was silent for a few minutes before placing a hand to his cheek. She wore a sad smile as she spoke. "I'm sorry, darling. I had no idea."

"I know." Daniel said as he placed his own hand over hers and squeezed it. "And that's why I can't let you make the same mistake. My grandfather regretted that choice for the rest of his life. I don't want you to have the same regrets. At least promise you'll talk to them. That's all I'm asking."

Kierda saw Vala sigh again before nodding. "All right, Daniel. I'll try. I'm not promising anything more, though."

"It's enough." he told her and Kierda could see a grin on his face. "For now, that's enough. Trust me, everything will work out in the end."

Kierda heard Vala's snort all the way down the hall.

"Darling, every time you tell me to trust you, something inevitably goes wrong."

Daniel laughed and kissed her forehead. "This time will be different. You'll see."

"I hope so." Vala said and shook her head as she started to walk away. "I certainly hope so."

Kierda watched as Vala went through a door a few feet from her position but she didn't move. Daniel was still in the hall, his gaze fixed on Vala's door. After a few moments, he went back through the one he'd exited a few moments ago. The coast was finally clear but Kierda found she couldn't move. What exactly had they been talking about? It sounded like they'd been discussing her and Zari but, if that were the case, what was the connection? She remembered Vala saying something about them not knowing who she was. What did that mean? Who was she and why did Kierda feel such a strange link to this stranger? She realised that there was only one way to find out. Taking a deep breath, she moved to the door she'd seen Vala disappear through and knocked. It was time to find out the truth.

Vala heard the light knocking on her door and sighed. It couldn't be Daniel, come to hound her some more, could it? But who else would it be? Rolling her eyes, she opened the door and her breath caught in her throat. Kierda was standing on the other side, looking nervous and angry. Had she heard her argument with Daniel?

"Kierda, what are you doing here? Does Dr. Lam know you've left the infirmary?" Stupid question. Of course Carolyn didn't know, else the girl would be here.

"No, I sneaked out. I needed to get out for a little while."

Vala nodded in understanding. She definitely understood _that_ feeling.

"Can we talk for a minute." Kierda asked.

Vala bit her lip, trying to figure out what to do. Should she call the infirmary and let them know where the girl was? No, that would only alienate her more. Besides, it's not as if she was wandering around without supervision. At least this way Vala knew the girl would stay out of trouble.

"Um, sure. Come in." She opened the door wide to allow Kierda entrance. They stood staring at each other, neither knowing exactly what to say.

"Who are you?" Kierda blurted out.

"Wh-What do you mean?" Vala's eyes grew wide. Obviously Kierda had heard at least some of her conversation with Daniel.

"Please, I'm not a child. I heard what you said about not wanting us to know who you are. So, who are you?"

Vala sighed and sat on the bed. "I think we should _both_ be sitting for this." When Kierda continued to stare at her she beckoned her with a pat on the bed. Finally the girl acquiesced, albeit reluctantly. "Thank you. Well, for starters, my name is Vala Mal Doran."

"M-Mal Doran?" Kierda stuttered.

"Yes, darling. See, Jacek is-_was_ my...my father." She stopped and waited for Kierda's reaction to the announcement. She had to commend the girl for her ability to stay calm throughout all of this. She's not sure she could have done the same at twelve.

"So, the stories of Princess Vala..." the girl trailed off, awaiting her response.

"True, for the most part." She wanted to say she wasn't sure how accurate Jacek's account of the end had been but wasn't quite certain as to how Kierda felt about their father. The last thing she wanted to do was insult the man and make her sister angry.

"You're my..._our_ sister?" Vala simply nodded at Kierda's dumbfounded look. Then the girl's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Why didn't we know? Why haven't we met you before?"

"Darling, I didn't know until yesterday when SG-3 brought you through the Chappa'ai. Jacek never told me about you."

"He didn't tell you?"

Vala could see the hurt in Kierda's eyes and her instinct to take it away reared up. "To be perfectly honest, Jacek and I haven't really spoken in twenty years. The first and last time since I was...sent away was when he came to Earth a year ago."

"He was here? And he didn't tell me he found you? Didn't tell you about us?"

Vala nodded again. She could see how angry Kierda was and knew that nothing she said would help. The girl had to work this out on her own. So Vala waited. It didn't take long, though.

"But you know now! You knew yesterday! You knew when you came to the infirmary today! You could have said something then, but you didn't. You were going to walk away from us without saying a word!"

Vala flinched at the accusation in her voice but couldn't deny any of what she said. "I was trying to protect you."

"Protect me from what?"

"From me." Vala could see that Kierda was shocked by the answer. She grabbed the girl's hand and continued. "Kierda, I am not a good person. I've done some really terrible things. A lot of them were for survival, but some...Well, suffice it to say, I have a lot of enemies. I don't want you to pay for my sins. You can do better."

Kierda was speechless for a few minutes then, suddenly, she jumped from the bed angrily. "How dare you! How dare you think you know what's best for me and Zari. You don't even _know_ us. Maybe you're exactly what we need. Maybe _you_ need _us_. But, you're right. You're not a good person. Good people don't turn their backs on family."

With that, the girl stormed out of the room and Vala could only stare after her. Was she being selfish in her need to protect? And just who was she trying to protect, the girls or herself?


	5. Chapter 4

**Spoiler Warning: **Small one for S 9 Ep 6 _Beachhead_.

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**Chapter 4**

Kierda awoke to the sound of voices. She immediately recognised one to be Zari's but it took another moment to realise the other voice belonged to Vala. She tensed, but when she heard Zari's soft laugh, she wondered what had made her little sister so happy. Cracking one eye open, she saw Vala and Zari sitting on the other bed. Zari was in their sister's lap and Vala was gently brushing the girl's hair. Kierda nearly smiled at the scene. Their mother had never taken the time to do something so menial. She was about to announce her wakefulness when Zari's voice filled the room again.

"What did Princess Vala do next?" she asked.

"Well, Princess Vala quickly realised that no one was paying her any mind. She knew she had to do something fast so she stole a ship. And remember, stealing is bad unless you have a really, really, _really_ good reason for it. Anyway, the princess stole the cargo ship and flew it right into the enemy's beachhead."

"Then what happened?" Zari asked in an awed tone.

"Well, she saved the day, of course, But she was transported to a faraway land."

"Tell me about it!" Zari begged.

Vala opened her mouth to answer when she looked up and caught Kierda staring at her. She smiled softly then looked back at Zari. "That's a tale for another time. I need to talk to your sister right now."

"Aw." Zari pouted as Vala set her back on the bed and stood.

"Not to worry, angel. Teal'c is here to play with you until I get back."

Zari looked dubiously at the corner of the room and it was only then that Kierda saw the large Jaffa standing there. He had a kind smile on his face as he made his way over to Zari.

"It would be my honour to entertain you, young Zari Mal Doran."

Zari giggled at the formal use of her name and nodded excitedly. "Okay!"

"Good." Vala nodded and turned her attention on Kierda once again. "Do you mind walking with me, Kierda?"

Kierda's first instinct was to say no, she was still angry. But after witnessing the scene between Zari and Vala, she was beginning to wonder is she'd been a little harsh the night before. "All right." she said and hopped out of the bed, grabbing her slippers along the way. Vala gave her a huge smile and she was sure she'd made the right decision.

Vala led Kierda through the corridors of the SGC with no real destination in mind. She just needed to walk, to help clear her head. She could always think better when she was on the move.

"Listen," she heard Kierda start uncertainly. "I know I was kind of mean last night. I just...I was so surprised. I mean, I've heard the Princess Vala stories my whole life. I just never new she..._you_ were real."

"I understand. It was a shock to me, too. But that's no excuse for the way I went about this." Vala stopped for a breath and was thankful the halls were practically deserted. "I was scared. I'm not very good with responsibility and I don't like being cornered. And, yes, I realise how selfish that sounds. But there were points in my past when I had absolutely no control over my life. I don't like that feeling."

"Yeah, I know how that feels." Kierda replied sagely.

Vala stopped walking and looked at her sister. What she saw in the girl's eyes saddened her but it also made her more determined to do right by her, no matter what that was. Placing a hand on Kierda's shoulder, she made sure the girl was looking her in the eye when she spoke again.

"I know we got off to a rough start here, but I was hoping you'd give me a second chance."

Kierda was silent for a while then she nodded and smiled shyly. "I'd like that."

"So would I." Vala said and smiled back. For the first time since hearing of her father's death, Vala felt as if things were finally back on balance.


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Thanks to mmkbrook for all of the great reviews and ideas. I don't think I could have gotten this far without them.

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**Chapter 5**

The next day, Vala and the girls moved into VIP quarters. Landry wanted Kierda and Zari to be comfortable but Vala didn't want them too far away from her. They'd agreed to the quarters until other arrangements could be made. That meant finding off-base housing. Vala had been asking for that for a while now and the IOA had been close to acquiescing. But now the girls were part of the deal and they changed things. Daniel and Landry, with a little help from Jack, were doing what they could to convince the IOA that it would be best for everyone concerned to get the girls off the base. Vala knew it was a necessary step into their integration into Earth society but she was secretly okay with how things stood at the moment. First of all, she wasn't sure how the girls would react to Earth's culture if it was pushed on them too quickly. From what she'd gathered, they'd grown up on a somewhat industrialised planet but, compared to Earth, it was rather primitive. Second, and more worrying, was the fact that the Lucian Alliance had been responsible for their father's death. She couldn't be certain, but Vala had a feeling that Kierda knew something of Jacek's dealings. If the Alliance ever found out about them, Vala was afraid of the lengths they'd go to to get their hands on the girls. For now they were safe inside the mountain and she was going to make certain they stayed that way.

The girls had been allowed free-rein of the less sensitive areas of the SGC and Vala had a hard time keeping up with Zari as she explored. She was inquisitive by nature and wanted to know everything. Vala had left her in Teal'c's care and she was currently bombarding poor Bill with her questions of Goa'uld technology. If she hadn't been so exhausted, she'd have felt sorry for the man. As it was, she needed a few moments away to catch her breath. That little girl had more energy than a fully charged ZPM and Vala idly wondered if this was how her own mother had felt when she was a child. She admitted, Zari reminded her a lot of herself at that age. It made her want to apologise to her mother. Kierda, on the other hand, was quiet and unassuming. She seemed always to be studying people, working out what made them tick. She was extraordinarily perceptive and far too guarded for Vala's liking. But she was determined to do something about that. She and Samantha were going to take the girls out for the first time that afternoon. They were going to spend the day enjoying ridiculous nonsense and frivolous fun, two things Vala was certain neither girl had enough of in their lives. And who better to show them how to relax than her? After all, it's what she did best.

()()()()

"What is this place?" Zari asked with wide eyes as she took in the huge buildings and multitude of people. She'd had the same reaction when they'd gotten in the car.

Kierda, though, was looking around suspiciously as if any moment now, someone would pick her pocket. Vala sighed and put on her best smile, hoping she sounded more optimistic than she felt. "It's called a mall. It's like a huge Tau'ri marketplace."

"You mean all these people are _shopping_?"

"Yes, angel. Amongst other things." Vala couldn't wait until Zari saw the food court. The girl had an appetite that could make a Jaffa cringe. And it had, Vala thought, as she remembered Teal'c's reaction to Zari discovering Jell-O. Vala glanced over at Kierda and, while she still looked wary, she also seemed fascinated. It made Vala smile wider. Maybe she could do this and looked over to Samantha, who smiled encouragingly back. Yep, she could do this. "All right, darlings. Let's get shopping!"

()()()()

Kierda looked around the room in fascination. Vala and Samantha had called it a spa. She hadn't known quite what to expect, but this...Currently, one woman was painting her toes with a strange orange substance and another was doing the same to her fingernails. Vala had called it a day of pampering and that's exactly how Kierda felt. She'd never been able to take the time to relax, not with Zari to care for. There really hadn't been any time for herself. Vala told her she was going to change that and she could feel a slight bubble of hope in her chest. She didn't want it to get out of control so she focussed on something else.

Earth was a strange world. It amazed her that they were so advanced in many ways, yet naïve at the same time. They had technologies beyond any she'd ever seen, they were able to do such frivolous things as shopping for items they had no need of, and the food...She'd never been to a world with such a variety of food. The Tau'ri seemed to see eating as an experience rather than simply as a way to keep the body alive. She didn't understand that way of thinking. Everything had always been about survival for her. But, even with all of their advancements, there was something that confused her even more. The vast majority of people on this planet had no idea about the existence of aliens. As someone who'd grown up knowing there was life on other planets, she couldn't quite grasp of their ignorance. How could this world have gone completely untouched by the Goa'uld for so long? Why hadn't any other races visited here? These were questions she promised herself to ask Vala. Or maybe she'd reserve them for Samantha. She was Tau'ri, maybe she could shed some light on the subject.

But for now, she decided to relax and enjoy her pampering. She knew better than most that all good things came to an end sooner or later.

()()()()

A nondescript man in nondescript clothes exited the mall and made his way to an ordinary black sedan. Once inside, he pulled out a communication device.

"I have located the two children. They are guarded only by Vala Mal Doran and Colonel Samantha Carter. I will continue my surveillance until I receive word to move in."

"Very good." came a voice over the device. "Soon we will have just what we need."

The man in the sedan broke off communication and drove away.

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**A/N2:** I've never actually written an action/adventure story, so bear with me on this one.


	7. Chapter 6

This chapter is a bit longer than the others but there was so much needed to be included. Enjoy!

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**A/N: **There's a bit of _Farscape_ reference in here if you look. )

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**Chapter 6**

Vala dropped onto her bed in exhaustion and let out a gusty sigh. She'd never been so tired in her entire life. Not even a duel with a Prior could compare. Hell, even labour had been easy in comparison to this. She let out a groan as the bed dipped with weight and she cracked an eye open in time to see Samantha copying her actions. She would have laughed if she weren't so knackered.

"Why didn't you warn me that shopping with children was this taxing?" she accused Samantha.

"How was I supposed to know?" the blonde defended herself. "I don't remember Cassie ever being as excitable as Zari."

"Where does she get all of that energy from?"

"Oh, I couldn't possibly fathom who she got _that_ particular trait from."

It was said with such sarcasm that Vala didn't have to look over at her best friend to know she was smirking. Instead she allowed her mind to wander. Thankfully, Cameron had come to collect the girls for their "How to Speak Like An Earthling 101" lesson a few minutes ago so she was free to just relax. She knew she'd get no down time once Zari returned. She never failed to come back speaking with a slight drawl and saying things like "slicker than snot". Vala shuddered as she remembered that one, then groaned as her muscles protested the action. Oh, how could she be this tired?

Vala loved to shop, thrived on it, really. Anyone at the SGC could attest to that. But shopping with a seven-year-old girl...They should come with warning labels. The first thing the girl zeroed in on was a cart selling giant cookies. Vala had indulged her because, let's face it, she'd wanted one, too. But the child hadn't even had the treat in her hand before she was making for the toy store. After a bit of a while, and the purchasing of a few "necessary" items, she was off to the next store-front. Then she was onto the next...and the next and the next...Suffice it to say, Vala had been in shops in the mall she hadn't even known existed. Six hours later, they were bogged down with so many bags, Vala was wishing they'd brought a team of marines with them. Or, at the very least, Teal'c. But the trip had allowed Vala a glimpse into the personalities of her sisters. She'd seen how Kierda nearly salivated at the vast selection of the book store. She'd watched Zari cuddle with a kitten at the pet shop. And if she'd spent more money than she made in a month, so be it. These two deserved a little spoiling.

She'd never been in a position to do that before. When she was pregnant with Adria, she'd had a few visions of what it would be like. But she'd known pretty much from the start that Adria wasn't hers. That she'd never get the chance to be a mother. Part of her had actually been relieved. What did she know of mothering? She hadn't thought she was equipped for this. She still wasn't so sure but she had to try. She'd felt a connection to them the moment she'd learnt of their existence. Something, she was sad to say, she'd never felt for her own daughter. Daniel had been right, she couldn't turn her back on them. But that didn't mean she wouldn't worry. What if she made a mistake? It wasn't just her life on the line any more. What if...

"You're going to be fine." Samantha said as if reading her mind.

"How do you know that?"

"Because I know you and I saw how you were with them today. You care about them and they care about you."

Vala wanted to believe her but still had her doubts. "I don't know. I can be very self-absorbed. What if I miss something important and one of them gets hurt?"

"Let me ask you something. How much money did you spend today?"

"Too much to be considered legal, I'm sure."

"Right." Sam laughed. "And how much of that was spent on you?"

Vala opened her mouth to answer but quickly closed it. She hadn't actually bought anything for herself. But that didn't mean anything and she tried to tell Samantha just that. "That doesn't count. Those are merely material things. They needed them."

"Zari _needed_ a pogo stick?"

Vala smiled sheepishly at Samantha's unbelieving look. "Okay, maybe _that _was a bit indulgent, but I really don't see what this has to do with being a good guardian. Anyone can buy things."

"The material things are just a tangible representation. Why did you do it?"

"I don't know. I guess I just want them to feel at home here. I know what it's like to come to a foreign place, knowing nothing of the culture, and try to fit in. I want them to have an easier time of it than I did. I want them to be happy."

"Exactly!" Sam said, sitting up quickly. "You want them to be happy. You listen to them, pay attention to their likes and dislikes. _That's_ why you'll make a great guardian."

"It's that easy?" Vala asked dubiously.

"I didn't say it was easy, but you already have the one thing that makes it a little bit simpler. Love."

Vala sat up and stared at Samantha for a moment. Maybe she was right, she did love her sisters she suddenly realised. How had that happened so quickly? She'd only know of their existence for a few days, but she loved them. Maybe it had always been there, just waiting for the right time. Maybe it was just that simple and complicated all at the same time.

"I guess you're right." she finally said, then she smiled with pride. "They really are marvellous girls, aren't they?"

"Wonderful." Sam agreed. "But I do have one piece of advice, if you want it."

"Of course."

"I highly recommend putting a limit of the shopping sprees. You don't want to spoil them and there _are _other ways to show you care. Besides, I don't think my body or credit card can take this kind of abuse more than once a year."

Vala laughed again as she and Samantha flopped back on the bed. Now there was advice she had no trouble taking.

()()()()

Vala shot up in bed as the all-too-familiar sound of someone screaming filled the room. She looked around for a moment before realising it was coming from the top bunk. Zari, she thought, and she rushed over to see what was wrong with the girl. Kierda was already up there but she seemed at a loss for what to do so Vala gently pried her away and took Zari in her arms. She carried her off the bed and sat on her own. Brushing at the child's hair, she kissed her forehead and whispered reassurances. Soon Zari settled and her watery brown eyes focussed on Vala. She could see the fear in them and held on tighter to make sure her sister knew she wasn't going to leave. Zari was shivering as she held on for dear life but soon stilled. Vala didn't let go, though. Instead, she leant down to kiss her forehead again and moved her a bit so she could look her in the eye.

"Are you all right now, angel?" she asked gently as she continued to stroke Zari's hair.

"I-I think so." the little girl stuttered.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She wouldn't push the girl. Vala knew better than most exactly what I was like to be in the grip of a nightmare and what it took out of you. She wanted Zari to feel comfortable telling her. When she nodded, Vala held her tighter and waited for her to speak.

"I dreamt that you and Kierda were taken away by bad men. I was all alone. I don't want to be alone."

"Oh, baby." Vala crooned as she pulled Zari to her once again, feeling the need to reassure herself as much as her sister. "I promise that won't happen."

"Mommy and Daddy were killed by bad men. What if they come back and take you, too?"

"Listen to me, Zari." she said forcefully and waited for the child to look her in the eye before continuing. "That is not going to happen. I won't _let_ it happen. You're mine, you both are, and I won't let anyone take us away from each other. You're stuck with me forever." Vala said this while looking at Kierda, who sat on the edge of the bed looking lost. She needed her sisters to know they were wanted, needed.

"I love you, Vala." she heard Zari say quietly and Vala couldn't help the tears that started down her cheeks.

"I love you, too, baby. Now go back to sleep."

"Okay." the girl acquiesced tiredly. "Will you stay with me, please?"

"Of course, angel. I'm not going anywhere." She kissed Zari's hair then lay down with her, rubbing her back until she fell asleep. Slipping her arms out from under the seven-year-old, Vala went to Kierda. "You okay?"

"I've never seen her like that before." she said on a shaky voice. "I-I didn't know what to do."

"That's all right, love." Vala placed an arm around Kierda's shoulder and was pleased when the girl didn't pull away. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Vala's waist and burrowed into her.

"I was so scared."

"I know, love, I know." Vala rubbed her back much as she had Zari's but knew it was going to take a lot more than that to convince Kierda of her intentions.

"What she said about being left alone...I don't want that to happen."

"Didn't I just tell Zari that I'm not going anywhere?" She felt Kierda nod against her shoulder so she continued. "I'm here to stay, that's a promise. And I'm not one to make promises lightly."

"But what if the Lucian Alliance finds out about us? What if they come back?"

Vala felt a fierce protectiveness wash over her. This child knew far too much for her age. She wanted to ask her what she knew of the Alliance and Jacek's dealings with them, but she didn't want to upset her any more than she already was. For now she just had to concentrate on comfort.

"I'm not going to lie to you, the Alliance could very well find out about you two. And they might come here. But, if that happens, I promise you they will not get to you. They'll have to deal with me and my friends. And, trust me, they won't like that. We've taken them down a time or two."

"You beat the Alliance?" Kierda asked in awe as her head shot up.

"Oh, yes, a few times actually. I'll tell you a secret." she said in a conspiratorial whisper and Kierda moved close to hear. "The Lucian Alliance is scared of us."

Kierda laughed a little and Vala felt the weight on her chest lift. They were silent for a few moments before Kierda spoke up. "How did you know what to do? With the nightmare, I mean."

"I've had a few of my own." Vala said sadly. "I just did what I know I'd want someone to do for me."

"You have nightmares?"

"Of course, love. Everyone has nightmares. The trick is to let the spooks in your head know that you're stronger than them. To let them know they can't scare you. And it helps to have someone to hold onto. The powers in numbers." Kierda gave her a confused look and Vala laughed. Apparently Cameron hadn't gotten around to that one yet. "It means that spooks like it better when there's only one of you. They get scared when there's a group."

"Oh." Kierda said, as if mulling over this new information. Finally she seemed to reach a conclusion as she snuggled in deeper. "I'm glad I have you to help me scare them away."

"I'm glad I have you, too." Vala said sincerely and kissed Kierda's hair. Without another word, she pulled the girl to the head of the bed and held onto her as she fell asleep. A long while later, Vala was staring at the peaceful faces of her sisters and she smiled. Yes, she was glad to have these two girls in her life and she would do everything in her power to protect them. She fell asleep thinking about all of the ways she could properly cause the Alliance grief for what they'd done.


	8. Chapter 7

Pretty much done with the fluff and I'm getting ready to start the action scenes. Might be a while, as I've never actually written anything action/adventure. If anyone has any advice, I'm all ears.

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**Chapter 7**

Cassie Fraiser walked through the halls of the SGC, smiling as she took in the familiarity of it all. No matter how much changed in her life, some things remained the same. Take SG-1, for instance. Cam and Vala were relatively new to the team but the dynamic that made them so successful was still there. SG-1 was family. And, as an honorary member of said team, Cassie considered all the members, old and new, to be her family. Cass had met Vala at a team night shortly after the alien came to Earth to stay and they'd got on right off. It had been nice to meet someone who knew what it was to live under the oppression of the Goa'uld. Sam, Jack and Daniel tried, but they'd never truly understand. Vala just got it. She's become like a sister to Cassie. That was why, when Vala rang her up this morning, she'd dropped everything to come here. She'd been shocked to learn of Kierda and Zari. How could Vala's father not tell her she had sisters? But that was neither here not there, she thought as she stopped in the doorway of Daniel's office. He was currently buried in a book while a little girl with dark hair and a lively manner bombarded him with questions.. To his credit, he answered each one with the perfect amount of gravity. Yep, some things never changed.

"Knock, knock." she said as she entered the cluttered room.

Daniel looked up with a grin. "Hey, Cass. What brings you here?" He came around the desk and hugged her tightly.

"I came to see Vala and thought she might be in here." Cass smirked when Daniel blushed at her assumption. Everyone knew Vala and Daniel had a thing for each other but they were both in denial. That thought made her realise she should take some time while she was here to check on the pools she was involved in.

"Uh, no, she's helping Bill with some new piece of Goa'uld technology SG-5 brought back."

The image of Dr. Lee and Vala hunched over some obscure device made Cassie laugh. They were an odd pair but with Vala it never struck anyone as out of the ordinary that she'd befriend the quirky scientist.

"Are you going to introduce me to your new assistant, then?" she asked grinning at the child. The girl smiled right back and Cassie was struck by how much she resembled Vala. Her eyes were brown instead of grey and her hair a few shades lighter, but she had a smile that could light the darkest room. And there was a mischief in her eyes that said she could be a handful. This child was _definitely_ related to Vala.

"Oh, uh, sorry. Yeah, this is Zari." He pulled the girl from his desk and set her on the floor.

"Hi, Zari. My name is Cassie." She held out her hand for the girl who shook it vigorously.

"You know my sister Vala?"

"Oh yes, we're great friends."

"Good." she said firmly then looked over at Daniel. "Can I take her to Dr. Bill's lab, Daniel? Please?"

Cassie chuckled as she watched Zari put on a pleading face that would make Vala proud. She saw Daniel sigh heavily and shake his head in mock exasperation.

"Okay, but go straight there. No little side-trips this time."

Zari pouted for a moment before nodding. "Okay." Before leaving, though, she motioned for Daniel to kneel to her height. Once on her level, Zari kissed his cheek noisily. "Thank you."

Daniel's smile gentled as he straightened and placed a hand to the girl's head. "You're welcome, you little scamp. Now go pester your sister for a while."

Zari giggled as she took hold of Cassie's hand and pulled her out of the office. Cass couldn't help laughing at the child's exuberance as she chattered non-stop about what she thought of Earth. She learnt that Zari like Jell-O but not carrots. She heard all about the shopping trip to the mall and laughed when told about the her pogo-stick. Zari pouted a little over the fact that she was forced to wear a helmet and pads and that she could only use it if there was an adult around, preferably Teal'c. But she soon bounced back and started chatting excitedly again. By the time they reached Bill's lab, Cassie felt mentally exhausted. She figured she knew more about Zari's personal tastes than she did her own.

Before they could announce their presence, Zari rushed into the room and straight for Vala. Thankfully Vala had fast reflexes as she was able to react before the child knocked them both to the ground. She grabbed Zari under the arms and planted her on one hip. Poor Bill wasn't so lucky. Zari's disturbance caused him to press a wrong button and shocks flew out. He yelped and jumped back, placing his injured finger in his mouth. Cass tried not to laugh and instead turned her focus back to Vala and Zari. She could see Vala's eyes light up when she looked at her sister and it made her reluctant to break in. But Vala _had_ called her so she cleared her throat.

"Cassandra!" Vala shouted when she saw her then rushed across the room and grabbed her into a hug, Zari still attached to her hip. "It's so good to see you. I'm glad you could make it on so short notice."

"Any time." she said as he hugged her surrogate sister back."

"Bill, would you mind taking Zari to the commissary for a snack?" Vala asked the beleaguered scientist, putting on much the same pleading look Cassie had seen on Zari.

"But I want to stay with you." Zari pouted.

"I know, angel, but I have something to talk over with Cassandra. Be a dear and go with Dr. Lee. I hear they have green Jell-O today."

Zari's eyes lit up at that and she nodded vigorously. "Okay."

"That's my girl." Vala said and kissed Zari's nose before setting her down. "Remember, only one bowl." This was said with a pointed glare at Bill who blushed under the regard. It made Cass wonder just how many times Zari had been able to weasel her way around the man.

"I know, I know." Zari huffed impatiently and grabbed hold of Bill's hand. "C'mon, Dr. Bill. Hurry!" The poor man didn't stand a chance and the pint-sized whirlwind dragged him away.

"I need to ask a favour of you." Vala said as she turned back to Cassie.

"Sure." Cass said without pausing.

"You were twelve when you came to Earth, right?" At Cassie's nod, Vala continued. "Samantha and I took the girls out of the mountain for the first time yesterday. They seemed to enjoy the experience, Zari especially. But Kierda, she's a contemplative sort. I'm worried she may have been a bit over-whelmed by all of it."

"You want me to talk to her about my experience of moving to Earth." It wasn't a question.

"Yes, could you?" Vala said in relief. "She won't talk to me about it. I'm thinking she might open up to you as you've been through a similar situation."

"I'll be happy to do what I can. Where is Kierda?"

"With Samantha, working in an experiment in her lab. Samantha claims it will help Kierda with her science skills. I think they simply want to blow things to bits."

Cassie laughed, as it probably wasn't far off the mark. "Okay, let's go find Gomez and Pugsley Addams before they put another hole in the SGC."

()()()()

"Look what I found!" Vala's voice carried into the lab as she made her way inside. Kierda looked up from the calculation she'd been doing with a smile on her face. It faded a bit as she eyed the young woman with her arm linked through Vala's.

"Cassie!" Samantha exclaimed and rounded the table to hug her.

Kierda studied the three women while they chatted and felt a strange pang in her chest as she noticed how cosy they looked together. They seemed to forget she was even there. The odd feeling grew until Vala turned with a bright smile which Kierda tried to return but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Kierda, love, I want you to meet Cassandra Fraiser. Cassandra, this is my little sister Kierda."

"Hello." Kierda said as she obediently went over to shake the woman's hand, still eyeing her suspiciously.

"Hello, Kierda. It's nice to meet you."

"Um, thank you." She said it almost as a question and pulled her hand away slowly. This woman seemed nice enough. Maybe she was judging too quickly but one could never be sure.

"Kierda, love, would you mind taking Cassandra to our quarters for a little while? Samantha and I have a meeting with General Landry."

"I guess so." she replied reluctantly. Now she turned her suspicious glance on her sister but couldn't read her. Was Vala trying to get rid of her? She didn't remember Vala mentioning a meeting this morning. Mentally shrugging, she left the lab with Cassandra. It could be she was reading too much into the situation but she made certain to send watchful glances in Cassandra's direction every now and then as they wove their way through the SGC corridors. The woman didn't say much, just wore an amused smile on her face. Once at the quarters, Kierda showed Cassandra in, still watching.

"Would you like a drink? I believe there is bottled water in the mini-refrigeration unit." Why any one had to bottle something that was so readily available, though, confused her.

"No, thank you." Cassandra said, taking a seat on Vala's bed. "Actually, I'd like to get to know you, if you don't mind."

"Me?" Kierda was more than a little surprised. Before arriving on Earth, no one had ever taken any real interest in her, not even her parents. Now everyone seemed to. It set her on edge.

"Yes, I want to know what you think if Earth and the Tau'ri." Cassandra must have seen the wariness in her eyes because she laughed a little. "It's all right. You can say whatever you want. I won't tell."

"Why are you so interested?"

"Because your sister happens to be one of my best friends and she's worried about you."

"She is?"

"Of course. She wanted me to talk to you, to see how you're handling things."

"Why you?"

"Because I know what it's like to come to a strange world not knowing the people, the culture, And I'd have to say, Earth is one of the...strangest out there."

"You're not from Earth?" Kierda asked curiously. For a world that didn't know aliens existed, there certainly were a lot roaming about.

"No, I came here when I was your age. I'm originally from a planet called Hanka."

"Oh, how did you..."

"End up on Earth? That's a long story and I'll tell you about it some day. Suffice it to say, SG-1 found me and took me in. It was a bit of an experience, to say the least."

"Were you scared?" Kierda asked, taking a seat next to Cassandra.

"Definitely. I wasn't sure what to make of it all. The people, the culture. It was all so foreign, so alien to me. There was no Goa'uld telling the people what to do, how to live. Everyone was free to do as they pleased. It was amazing."

"I grew up on a planet without Goa'uld rule but I'd visited some of the liberated ones with Jacek on his...travels. I'd always thought my homeworld to be so advanced in comparison. Until I came here, that is. Everything is so odd, so new. How did you get used to it all?"

"It took time and effort. And I had my family. SG-1." Cassandra said at Kierda's confused look. "I don't think I could have survived without them. I'm not sure I'll ever be completely used to it, though. There is still so much that seems alien to me. But this place, these people, they grow on you. If I had to choose a planet to end up on, this would be it."

"I'm afraid I won't fit in. That I'll do something to make Vala re-think keeping me."

"That's something I can promise you will never happen. Your sister is one of the most fiercely loyal people I've ever met. There's not a thing you could do that would make her turn her back on you."

"People walk away all the time. How can you be so sure about Vala?" Kierda asked uncertainly as she thought of the conversation she'd overheard between Vala and Daniel the night she'd sneaked out of the infirmary.

"Because I know Vala and I know a lot of what she's been through in her life. She knows what it's like to be forced into a difficult situation, to make questionable decisions. But she also knows what it's like to want to be accepted for who she is, not what she's done. She would never ask you to be anything but yourself."

Kierda sat back against the headboard and thought this through. Vala _had _allowed her to do what she wanted, never telling her it was wrong or foolish. When she'd first expressed an interest in science, Vala had been all for it, even going so far as to set up a time for her to study with Samantha. She hadn't told her or Zari they couldn't do something and she hadn't tried to change them. She'd allowed them to just be themselves. Maybe this would work out, after all. Maybe she'd finally found her home. Her family.


	9. Chapter 8

I was planning to have this up yesterday but I decided to put in a last minute addition. Got some D/V in this, so I think I can be forgiven by most of you. Hope you like it.

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**A/N:** I have to apologise for not proofing the last 2 chapters. I went back and read them over...Yikes! I've gone back to spell-check so they read a lot better now. So sorry.

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**Spoiler Warning: **Some for S 9 Ep 4 _The Ties That Bind_.

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**Chapter 8**

SG-1 sat around the briefing room table for the first time in over a week. They hadn't been off-world since before the girls came through the 'gate and everyone was feeling a little restless. Even with the Ori now completely taken care of, they weren't used to a lot of down time, something Hank Landry was all too aware of. When his flagship team was edgy, the entire complex was the same. At times like this it was usually in everyone's best interest to send them off-world. And he had just the mission for them, he thought as he went through the door leading from his office to the briefing room.

"At ease." he said to Colonels Carter and Mitchell and signalled them to re-take their seats. "I know this week has not been an easy one but the SGC has received intel pertaining to Jacek's death." Everyone at the table sat a little straighter and Hank waited until he was certain he had their complete attention before continuing. "I've had a few teams out there trying to get a feel of the situation. We got word from someone with ties to the Alliance who has information he's willing to divulge, at a price."

"And?" Vala asked. "Who is it? What does he know? Are the girls in any danger?"

"First of all, as long as your sisters are here, they're safe. I'll make certain of it. Second, I have no idea what this person knows. He said he'll only talk to you, Vala."

"Me? Who is it?"

"Caius." Silence descended over the room as the team took it in. There were a couple of groans before Carter broke in, obviously confused.

"Who's Caius?"

"Caius is a former...associate of mine."

"Associate?"

"A smuggler." Vala said with a sheepish smile and a shrug. "He's good, too. I'd heard he was back in the game but had no idea he was working with the Alliance again."

"Sir, with all due respect, you're not actually thinking of sending Vala in there alone, are you?" Daniel asked.

"Of course not, Dr. Jackson. He was informed that the only way he was going to talk to Vala was if the rest of SG-1 was there, too. It took some dealing, but after a while, he was very accommodating." Vala snorted but said nothing so Hank continued. "We set up a meeting on P32-986, a planet called Lartis. Caius said you would recognise it, Vala."

"Oh yes, Lartis. It's a trader planet that specialises in rare and obscure items."

"A black market planet?" Cam asked incredulously.

"For lack of a better term, yes. When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow at 0800. Be ready. Dismissed." Landry stood, followed by Carter and Mitchell. They saluted and the General left, leaving the team to deal with the details.

"Well, anyone hungry? I hear they have roast beef in the commissary today." Cam said jovially. He couldn't wait to get back into action.

"You guys go on ahead. Maybe we'll catch up later." Daniel said, not taking his eyes off of Vala. She was still sitting at the table, chewing on her lower lip.

"Oh, sure." Cam said brightly as he backed out of the room. "You coming Big Guy, Sam?"

Teal'c and Sam both nodded their acquiescence as the three team members left the room. When Daniel was sure they were alone, he placed a hand on Vala's shoulder. She jumped a little then sent him a wide grin. He sighed because he knew it was fake.

"You don't have to do this, you know." he told her gently.

"Of course I do, darling. Caius asked for me."

"That's not what I meant. We could get the information out of him some other way. It doesn't have to be you."

"Yes, it does, Daniel." Finally Vala looked him straight in the eye, her smile no where to be found. "I have to do this for Kierda and Zari. I have to know what we're facing."

"What if it's a set-up? A way for the Alliance to get their hands on you? You still have a bounty on your head, you know."

"That's why you and the rest of the team will be there. You'll have my back."

She said it with such trust that Daniel was speechless for a moment. The smile that lit her face this time was real and made him want to relent. But something urged him on, wouldn't let him give up.

"I don't want you hurt, Vala." he told her and placed a hand to her cheek.

"I know, darling, but it's a risk I have to take."

"Why? Why do you always have to be the one taking the risks?"

"Oh, that's a good one coming from you, Mr. Former-Ascended." Vala stood up and started pacing. "Daniel, this is my problem, my family. I have to know what kind of danger Kierda and Zari are in so I can protect them."

"And who's going to protect _you_?" Daniel stood as well, stopping Vala in her tracks.

"I can take care of myself, they can't. I have to do this, Daniel." she repeated.

"I know." Daniel sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know you do. I just can't bear to see you hurt. Vala, I care about you."

"I know, darling." Vala smiled and placed a hand to his cheek in understanding. "But my first priority now is keeping Kierda and Zari safe. I can't worry about the risk to myself right now. It has to be about them."

"Whatever happened to that selfish space pirate who was only worried about treasure that I met all those years ago?" Daniel asked on a laugh.

"Oh, she's still here, darling. But she's learning that there are all kinds of treasures in the universe and some are worth more than others. Some are worth fighting for."

Daniel only nodded and kissed her forehead. Yeah, some treasures were worth fighting for and she was his. It was her job to protect her sisters so it would be his job to protect her. She was worth it.

()()()()

It was late but Kierda lay in bed, wide awake. Vala had told her earlier that SG-1 had a mission the next day and she and Zari were to stay with Cassandra. That wasn't so bad. Kierda liked her and the thought of being outside the mountain held appeal. She wanted to see more of this planet and Cassandra had promised to show them around. No, what worried her was the idea of Vala leaving. What if something happened? What if something went wrong? She'd picked up enough in the past week to know that Vala's job was dangerous and that her team often got into trouble. She really didn't want to lose another person. Especially since she was getting used to things as they were now. And losing Vala would hurt more than losing her parents. That sounded mean, but it was the truth. Vala was the only person who'd ever taken the time to get to know her. Even though she hadn't said it aloud, she loved Vala and knew without a doubt that Vala loved her. She couldn't, _wouldn't_ lose that.


	10. Chapter 9

I have come to the conclusion that I am just not made to write action/adventure. My brain simply does not work that way so I've decided this is going to be mostly a character piece with some action.

* * *

**A/N:** I watched the first two episodes of SGU when it first aired then got fed up and tried to forget it ever existed. Obviously I know the Alliance was a part of the show but I have no idea who was running what so I've gone and created my own chain of command. I like my state of denial over the whole SGU debacle and refuse to even research it.

* * *

**Chapter 9**

As SG-1 walked into the tavern on Lartis, Vala suspiciously scanned the area. She spotted SGs 3 and 9 scattered about and nearly smirked. The pub was much the same as many others on countless planets. Loud, dingy, crowded. They were sights and sounds Vala remembered from her childhood when she travelled with her father. That thought made her stomach clench as she realised these things may also be familiar to her sisters. It made her more determined than ever to find out what she could in order to protect them. Flanked by the rest of SG-1, Vala took a seat at the table occupied by her former associate.

"All right, Caius, I'm here. Tell me what you know."

"What? No time to reminisce about the good old days?"

"You mean like the time you knocked me out with fetten gas then took off with my cargo ship full of naquadah?"

"It was business."

"Exactly, so let's keep this business, too. Tell me what you know."

"Fine." Caius huffed and sat back, crossing his arms over his protruding stomach. "I don't know if you've heard, but our old friend, Potho, is running this sector for the Alliance."

"Potho?" Cam asked.

"He's an old associate of mine." Vala hedged.

"Associate?" Caius snorted. "You were once married to the man."

All four sets of eyes landed on her as the team took in this new development.

"Married?" Sam asked.

"Briefly." Vala sent Caius a murderous look then continued. "The three of us ran a smuggling operation shortly after I was freed from Qetesh. The personal relationship ended much sooner than the business one."

"And it was a lucrative one, too." Caius sighed nostalgically. "Ever think about coming back into the game? Your skills are sorely missed."

"So you can sell me out to Ba'al again? I don't think so. Let's just move on with the business at hand, shall we? What does Potho have to do with my father?"

"Apparently Jacek was working for him."

"Doing what, exactly?" Daniel asked.

"Transporting rare items, mostly."

"Smuggling?" Vala asked incredulous. "He's never been a smuggler before. What would make him get into the racket now?"

"Not sure. All I know is that he came to me about a year ago, telling me he had some merchandise to move. He wanted in with the Alliance, so I gave him one."

"_You_ introduced him to Potho? What were you thinking?"

"Hello, money! And, let me tell you, your father was loaded."

"What was he transporting?" Sam asked, trying to deflect Vala's anger while also controlling her own.

"No idea. Whatever it was had Potho salivating, though. Until a couple of weeks ago, that is."

"What happened then?"

"Word is Jacek betrayed the Alliance."

"Betrayed how?"

"Whatever he sold them was enough to send their grid into a mess. I heard their system was hacked."

"By who?" Vala was getting worried now.

"Don't know, but the Alliance believed he was involved. You and I both know what it's like to be on the wrong side of the Alliance."

Vala only nodded. Yeah, she knew what that was like and exactly how far they were willing to go to protect themselves.

()()()()

"So, this man Potho had Jacek killed?" Landry asked as he took in the faces of SG-1.

"It would appear so, General Landry." Teal'c said with a slight nod.

"It wouldn't surprise me in the least." Vala put in. "Potho is a ruthless man, personally _and_ professionally. If he thought Jacek betrayed him, nothing would stop him from seeking revenge."

"So this ex of your is going to be a problem." Cam said on a sigh.

"More than you know. He won't like the fact that we're looking into this, especially given the headaches we've already caused the Alliance. I think we need to find out just who Jacek was working with."

"I agree. I'm going to put SG-3 on this. Given the history here, I think you all should keep a low profile. At least for the time being." Landry wanted to roll his eyes at the groans of displeasure that emanated from his top team. Sometimes they really did remind him of kindergärtners. "You will be kept apprised of the situation." Landry waited for the arguments to ensue, but to his surprise, it was Vala who spoke up first.

"I have to agree with the general." she said with a smile in his direction before turning to her team. "If Potho even _thinks_ I'm involved, he'll stop at nothing to get his hands on me. I will not put any of you or my sisters at risk."

"You're sure, Princess?" Cam asked with a frown. "We do know how to be clandestine, you know."

Someone snorted in disbelief but Landry didn't know who and he tried not to smirk.

"Trust me, Cameron. I wasn't joking when I said Potho is ruthless. This is the best way to handle him. Besides, I don't think the people who know anything will talk to us."

"All right, I'll get SG-3 on it right away. Dismissed." Landry stood and watched as the team started to file out. "Vala, I'd like to talk to you for a moment."

Hank headed for his office without waiting but he didn't miss the comforting way Dr. Jackson squeezed her hand before leaving. Civilians, he thought as he took a seat behind his desk.

"Is something wrong, General?" Vala asked, sitting in the chair opposite him.

"No, actually I just got word from General O'Neill that the IOA has signed off on your living off-base. Congratulations."

"Really, so soon? From what I know of them, don't they usually take months to do anything?"

"Usually." Hank said with a laugh. "But Jack has been...working on them. All that's left is for you to find an apartment. I'm sure your friends will be more than happy to help."

"Thank you, sir." Vala said as she stood. She looked nervous but Hank didn't know why. She'd been wanting to live off-base for a while now.

"Is everything all right, Vala?"

"Huh? Oh, yes. It's just...I didn't realise it would happen so quickly. I-I have to tell the girls." With that, she rushed out of his office, leaving behind a very confused general.


	11. Chapter 10

So, I wrote this entire chapter while I had the stomach flu. There's suspense, fluff and angst. I've also noticed that Kierda gets a lot of page time so I put in a couple of bits with Zari. She needs some love, too. Hope you like it and it doesn't read like I was delirious or anything...

* * *

**Chapter 10**

"How in the world did you three accumulate so much stuff in such a short period of time?" Cam asked in irritation as he loaded yet another box into his pickup.

"Oh, I don't know." Vala returned sarcastically. "Maybe it has something to do with a certain "uncle" who never fails to show up with a new toy or trinket?"

"Yeah, well..." Cam trailed off as he blushed.

"It's all right, Cameron." Vala smiled and planted a kiss on his cheek. "I think it's lovely that you enjoy spoiling them. Besides, it saves me from having to buy that stuff myself."

Cam snorted and rolled his eyes. Before he could say another word, though, a tiny head poked out of the truck's window.

"Are we ready, Uncle Colonel Cam?" Zari asked. The child was fairly bouncing in her seat.

"Just about, Princess Zee." Cam said with a smile before turning back to Vala. "I'll see you back at the house."

Vala grinned and waved him off as he hopped into the cab, driving off with a shrieking seven-year-old. Zari had taken quite a shine to her "Uncle Colonel Cam" and he to her. The child had even taken on some of his mannerisms and Vala couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not. As long as she didn't start quoting his "gramma", Vala wasn't worried, though. Suddenly a chill raced up Vala's spine, making her jerk her head around and narrow her eyes. She felt as if someone were watching her but saw no one about. It was a big parking lot, though, so she couldn't be entirely certain.

"You okay?" Daniel asked from her side, making her jump a little. His eyes widened for a moment before narrowing slightly.

"Oh, yes, darling." Vala reassured. "I didn't hear you approaching, is all. Are you ready to go, then?"

"Uh, yeah." he said uncertainly. "Cam and Zari leave already?"

"Just a few moments ago." she told him as she settled into the front seat of his car. She'd have to look into getting her own transportation soon, she thought when Daniel started up the vehicle. She'd had her license for a few months and she'd been saving for it. Guess it was time to buy.

"You're kind of quiet over there. You sure you're okay?"

"Yes, darling. I'm just wondering if all our stuff is going to fit into the house." She tried to laugh it off but that brought up another worry. She'd been all set to rent a little apartment for the three of them but Daniel had insisted on a house. He'd somehow convinced the IOA that it was a good idea, that the girls needed a proper home and stability in their lives right now. Surprisingly, they'd readily agreed and even helped her in finding a suitable residence. That was what worried her. Why was the IOA so agreeable all of a sudden? She knew they weren't usually so generous. Maybe Daniel had more clout than she gave him credit for. Or maybe it was something else entirely, she thought as the chill raced up her spine once more. She surreptitiously looked in the mirror and watched the traffic behind them. Were they being followed? But none of the other vehicles looked suspicious so she shook it off as her over-active imagination. Trying to ignore the sensation of being watched, Vala chattered away. Once in a while, she glanced behind them, just in case.

()()()()

Daniel watched Vala from the doorway to Zari's bedroom. The furniture had been assembled and now the sisters were putting away the stuffed animals. Apparently it was an important task and had to be done just right. He laughed a little when Zari made Vala kiss each toy before putting it in its specified spot on the bed. And, to her credit, Vala acquiesced with the proper amount of gravity due the process. Gods, he loved this woman and it was time to tell her. Just as soon as he could get her alone. Thankfully the team had finally gone to their respective homes and he was the only one left.

"Daniel!" Zari exclaimed. She jumped from her bed and raced over to him, launching herself into his arms, knowing she'd be caught. "Come play with us."

"Oh no, little girl." Vala said before he could answer. Standing, she walked over to them and placed a hand to Zari's back. "It's time for bed, angel."

"Aww." she pouted then grinned at Daniel. "Can you tell me a Princess Vala story, Daniel?"

"Darling, I'm sure Daniel would like to go home soon."

"No, it's all right. I was planning on sticking around for a little while longer, anyway."

"If you're sure..." She waited for his nod then grabbed Zari under the arms and planted her on the floor. "You go brush your teeth then I'll tuck you in."

"Okay." Zari beamed at them before rushing out.

"Thank you, Daniel." Vala smiled up at him. "I know you must be exhausted after today."

"There is nowhere else I'd rather be right now." he told her as he tilted her face up to his. They stared at each other for a long moment before Zari came rushing back in, causing Vala to step back. He didn't mind. There was time enough later for what he needed to say.

"All right, angel. Get in bed and Daniel will tell you a story. Which one would you like to hear?"

"I wanna hear about how Princess Vala beat up Prince Daniel and stole his ship."

Vala coughed and grinned sheepishly. "Oh...well...good luck, then." With that, she kissed her sister on the cheek and hurriedly left the room, leaving behind a confused Zari and a grinning Daniel.

"How about I tell you how Prince Daniel outsmarted Princess Vala and took the ship back?"

"Okay!" Zari exclaimed.

"One upon a time, in a galaxy not too far away..."

Vala stood just outside the bedroom for a moment to listen to Daniel tell his side of the story. She laughed a little as he skipped over the whole undressing her part and turned to walk away, knowing just how lucky she was to have him around.

()()()()

Half an hour, Vala stood staring out the living room window. She'd checked on Kierda, whom she'd left reading some tome Sam had given her. Something about Shoedunger and his cat. She'd cleaned up the mess left by her friends and tried to ignore the feeling of being watched. Even now as she scanned the neighbourhood, nothing looked out of place. In fact, she'd taken a bit of a turn to see if she could spot anything suspicious but found nothing. She wouldn't let her guard down, though.

"Are you going to tell me what's been on your mind all day?"

Vala didn't even start at the feel of Daniel's hands resting on her shoulders or his soft voice in her ear. "It's nothing, really. I just hate this feeling of helplessness. I should be doing something."

"You are." he said and turned her to face him. "You're making certain the girls are safe and cared for."

"I know that but I get the feeling that I'm just waiting for something to happen. It's making me jumpy."

"I know, but there's not much else we can do at the moment." Daniel pulled her into a hug and she snuggled in, needing the reassurance. She finally pulled back a few moments later and looked Daniel straight in the eye.

"I want to thank you for everything you've done today. You really didn't have to stay."

"I wasn't lying when I said there's nowhere else I'd rather be. I want to be here, with you."

"Daniel, I-"

"No, let me finish." he interrupted and she nodded. He grabbed her hand and made sure she was looking him in the eye. "Vala, you are the most amazing woman I have ever met. You're beautiful, intelligent, kind and so full of life. You brought _me_ back to life. When you walk into a room, everything seems so much brighter. What I'm trying to say is I love you, Vala Mal Doran."

Vala felt tears in her eyes as she stared into Daniel's. She knew he meant every word he'd just said. Taking a deep breath, she started to speak. "Daniel, I love you, too. Bu-"

She didn't get a chance to finish the sentence as Daniel's lips crashed down on hers. All the hunger, yearning and desire they'd had pent up from the moment they met was put into the kiss and Vala found herself drowning in it. Her hands unconsciously made their way to his shoulders and held on. But when Daniel's mouth left hers and aimed for her neck, she attempted to push him away.

"Daniel, we have to stop. The girls..."

"You're right." he said on a deep sigh and rested his forehead against hers, seemingly trying to compose himself. "Sorry, I guess I got a little caught up there. Do you know how long I've been waiting to do that?"

"Probably as long as I have darling. But now is not the right time."

"Okay, you're right." he repeated. "Maybe we could convince Sam or Cass, or even Teal'c, to stay with the girls some night and-"

"No." Vala said firmly and stepped away from him. Turning back, she looked into his beautifully confused eyes and wanted to kick herself for what she was about to say. "That's not what I meant, Daniel. I didn't mean right this second. I mean, maybe we shouldn't get involved until this whole Lucian Alliance thing is cleared up."

"You can't be serious." Daniel took a step toward her but she stopped him with an upraised hand.

"I am serious, Daniel. I've got enough to deal with at the moment. I've got two young girls to care for, the Lucian Alliance on my back and an ex-husband out for blood. I can't deal with a relationship, too. I can't afford the distraction."

"Distraction?" The word seemed to have stopped him cold and Vala could see the anger radiating from him. "Is that what this is? What _I_ am?"

"No, of course not. That's not what I meant. I need to focus on my girls right now and fixing the mess Jacek has dropped on me before I can even _think_ about getting serious with you."

"At least you admit it's serious." he said rather coldly.

"Of course it's serious. It has been for a very long time. Can't you see, though, that this is best for now?"

"What I see is you running away again." Daniel said as he took a step forward and cupped her face with his hands. "You have to know that I would do anything to protect you and your sisters. I care about them, too."

"I know, Daniel, and that's what scares me. We _both_ need to focus if we're going to catch Potho. And that won't happen if we get involved. Everything will change."

"Dammit, Vala, how can you say that? Haven't we always looked out for each other? Haven't we always protected each other? Has it ever been a problem before?"

"It's different and you know it! I won't let anything come between me and protecting my sisters. Not even you." Vala stepped away again and steeled herself against the tears that threatened to fall.

"This isn't about distractions, this is about you running scared."

"That's not true!"

"The hell it isn't! Are you ever going to stop running every time something gets serious? You can't hide behind your sisters forever, Vala. What happens when there is no longer any danger? What excuse will you make then?"

"I think it's time you left, Daniel." Vala said coldly and pointed at the door without another word.

"Fine, but when you're ready to stop hiding, you know where to find me."

Vala watched as the man she loved stormed out and turned back to the window. When he climbed into his car and sped away, she wondered if she'd made the worst mistake of her life.

* * *

**A/N: **This argument took me a bit of time to write and I'm still not sure whose side I'm on. I hope it doesn't seem too OOC for either character.


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Vala stared longingly at the sleek, little red sports car in front of her. Ever since she'd learnt of the Tau'ri's most common mode of transportation, she knew she was going to purchase one. She'd started saving money the moment she'd become an official member of SG-1 with a vehicle like this in mind. In fact, she almost had enough for it. She could just picture herself speeding down the road with the top down, her hair flying...

"Hey, Princess. You gonna drool over that 'stang all day or are you gonna actually buy a car?"

Vala sighed and gave the little two-seater one final look before turning to face Cameron. "I do not drool, darling. And yes, I am going to buy a car. Shall we?"

"Lead the way."

They walked around the lot for a few minutes in silence and Vala was grateful for the instinct that told her to send the girls off with Cassandra today instead of bringing them here. She could just imagine the trouble Zari would get into with all of these shiny cars. It made her laugh a little and she was grateful for that, too. It had been almost a week since her argument with Daniel and they'd barely spoken. At work she tried to avoid him and he seemed to be doing the same. She wasn't sure what she could say. She still believed in her stand on their relationship but she wondered if she could have gone about it differently. She sighed a little and tried to push the thoughts out of her head. Cameron must have picked up on her distress, though, because he was staring at her curiously. She decided to bite the bullet.

"What is it, Cameron?"

"I'm just wondering why Jackson isn't here with you."

"What, you don't want to be here?" she deflected.

"It's not that. I just...I know you and Jackson are...close. I just assumed you'd ask him to take you car shopping."

"I need someone who knows cars and you're always going on about your automotive expertise. If I want a book, I'll ask Daniel."

"You sure nothing is going on with you two?"

"Like what?" she asked, hoping he'd just drop it. No such luck.

"C'mon, Vala. You and Jackson have been acting weird since you moved out of the mountain. Did something happen?"

"Are you asking as a friend or my CO?" she asked and looked him straight in the eye.

"Both, but mostly as a friend."

"All right." Vala nodded at his honesty. She told him of the argument and he listened without interrupting. When she finished, she could feel tears in her eyes and Cameron hugged her.

"Ah, Princess, nothing is ever simple between you two, is it?" he said with a sad smile as he released her.

"Is it supposed to be?"

"Love rarely is. I will say one thing, though. You two have been involved in one way or another from the day you met, whether you know it or not. Jackson was right when he said you two always watch out for each other. It's just the way it's always been. We have a dangerous job and that's not going to change when this threat is over. Just be sure you're doing this for the right reasons. I want you to be happy. Goodness knows you and Jackson are due some happiness for a change. I don't want you to miss your chance."

"Thank you, Cameron." Vala said sincerely and kissed his cheek. She'd thought she was doing the right thing but now she wasn't so sure. Had she let fear get in the way again? Had she messed everything up? The only thing she knew was that she had to talk to Daniel, and soon.

()()()()

As Vala parked her brand new, used car in her driveway and hopped out, she felt a great sense of pride. She'd been on Earth for three years now but she finally felt as if she was putting down permanent roots. She had a home, family and friends, a real job that she loved. She'd never had any of that before, hadn't thought she even wanted it. Now she couldn't picture her life without all of it. She grinned as Cameron pulled in behind her and got out of his own car. She'd settled on a sporty-looking SUV, because there was no way she was going to drive a mini-van. Especially after Cameron had called her a soccer mom. Her smile grew when she saw the man rub his upper arm where she'd punched him for that remark. She was going to tease him when she felt a familiar chill race up her spine. She quickly turned to look at the house, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"What's wrong?" Cam asked as he jogged up next to her.

"I don't know, but something doesn't feel right." She started reaching for her side-arm only to realise it wasn't there.

Cam looked from her to the house then back again. Nodding, he grabbed for his own gun and went toward the house. "Stay here."

"Yeah right." Vala scoffed and followed him. He didn't argue. When they reached the stoop, Cam grabbed for the doorknob and turned it. It opened easily and he looked at her.

"Did you forget to lock up?"

"No way. I distinctly remember locking this door."

"Okay, stay behind me."

This time Vala listened as they inched their way into the house. What Vala saw made her gasp and thank whatever gods may be listening that she'd sent the girls off with Cassandra. Her living room was torn apart. Someone had broken into her house, but who? And to what end?


	13. Chapter 12

Sorry for the wait on this one. I do have a good excuse(s). I just got a new job, I am in the process of relocating (AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!) and someone who shall remain nameless decided to send me the link to some original Farscape scripts. You know who you are! Anywho, RL has finally decided to give me a wee breather so I was able to finish this. It's short but I hope it was worth the wait!

* * *

**Chapter 12**

The first thing Daniel noticed when he entered Vala's house was the utter chaos. Books lay scattered across the floor, drawers were pulled out, cushions no longer on the furniture. Anger bubbled up inside of him and he had to tamp down the emotion. Finally his gaze landed on Vala. She was standing at the window, exactly how he'd found her the night they'd confessed their feelings. That thought brought a wave of sadness crashing down on him. They hadn't spoken much since that night and he'd never felt so lost. He realised now that she was his anchor. She kept him rooted in the real the world when all he wanted to do was hide in his books. He wanted her in his life as his partner, but more that that, he _needed_ her as a friend. And if that was all they were ever going to be, he'd have to adjust because he knew he couldn't live without her. Without a word, Daniel walked up to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She turned and wrapped her arms around his waist and he held her close. No, he definitely could not live without her. Neither spoke, just clutched each other tightly. Even when they heard footsteps approaching, neither moved. It wasn't until he heard a throat clearing that Daniel pulled back, never letting Vala go completely.

"Hey, Princess, I just spoke with Sam. She and Teal'c are with Cass and the girls. They're safe and on their way to the SGC."

"Thank you, Cameron." Vala said with a small smile, squeezing Daniel's hand.

"Have you checked the rest of the house?" Cam asked. "Anything missing?"

"Nothing that I can see. All of the rooms are a disaster, though. It's like someone was looking for something very specific."

"I've got a feeling you may be right. We'll have to-" Whatever Cam was about to say was interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. His brow creased as he answered. "Mitchell...Yes, sir. We'll be there in twenty." Cam disconnected, giving them an uneasy frown. "That was Landry. He said SG-3 has come back with news and we need to get to the mountain, asap."

"Let's go, then." Vala said and started to leave but Daniel held her in place. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment before Daniel spoke.

"We'll figure this out. Together."

"I know, darling." Vala smiled sadly, placing a hand to his cheek. He kissed her palm before taking that hand and leading her out of the house, away from the chaos inside. One way or the other, they would bring this to an end.

()()()()

Vala sat in the briefing room, nervously tapping her fingers on the table as she waited for General Landry and Colonel Reynolds. She felt a hand come to rest on hers and looked over to see Daniel had taken a seat beside her. She squeezed his hand and rested her head on his shoulder, grateful for the contact. The first thing she'd done upon reaching the SGC was to make sure the girls were settled. She hadn't told them about the break-in but knew Kierda was aware something was going on. She knew she was going to have to talk to the girl eventually. Just then, General Landry walked in followed by Colonel Reynolds and the rest of SG-1. Teal'c came by to place a hand on her shoulder and she smiled up at him gratefully before turning her attention to Landry and Reynolds.

"So, what's up?" she asked, leaning forward.

"Colonel?" Landry nodded to Reynolds.

"My team and I were called back to P32-986 by Caius. Or so we thought. When we arrived, we found him dead and there was a data crystal nearby."

"What did it say?" Vala asked, trying hard to push away the sadness she felt at hearing of Caius' death. She'd found the man utterly repugnant, but they'd been friends once.

"It was a message from the Alliance. More specifically, Potho. He's requesting a meeting with SG-1.

There was silence for a moment then Daniel spoke up. "All of SG-1?"

"That's what it said. He said it was vital he meet with SG-1 and sent us the coordinates to his flagship."

"When do we leave?" Vala asked.

Everyone stared at her in shock before Daniel finally choked out a response. "Vala, it's obviously a trap."

"Of course it is, darling." Vala rolled her eyes. "But I think we should go."

"_Why_?" Daniel rubbed a hand over his face and sighed.

"Because, we _know_ it's a trap so we'll be prepared. And because Potho is the key to figuring out what is going on here."

"Didn't you say this guy was ruthless, Princess?" Cam argued. "Wouldn't it be suicide to step into his trap?"

"Normally, yes. But, while he may be ruthless, he is far from stupid. He won't hurt us."

"How do you figure that?"

"Whoever broke into my house was obviously looking for something. Now, whether or not it was the Alliance really doesn't matter. They're connected somehow. I must have something they want and Potho won't kill me until he has it."

"That's okay for you, but what about the rest of us?" Cam asked incredulously.

"As I said, Potho is far from stupid. He knows that keeping you alive is the key to my cooperation. We just have to figure out what it is he wants before he finds it."

Everyone in the briefing room stared at Vala as if she was insane. But they also knew they were going to go through with her plan because crazy was what SG-1 did best.

* * *

**A/N:** I do have this story sketched out until chapter 15 so I hope to update it soon. Fingers crossed, people. :D


	14. Chapter 13

Forced myself to take 2 hours away from packing to write this chapter. Didn't take a lot of convincing, though. ;) Hope you like it and I'll try to get to work on the next chapter soon.

* * *

**Chapter 13**

"Why do you have to go?" Zari asked with tears in her eyes and a pout on her lips.

"We talked about this, angel." Vala told her as she hugged the child on her hip. "It's my job. I'll be back in no time, you'll see."

"Why can't someone else go? Why does it have to be you?"

The words stopped Vala for a moment as they seemed to echo Daniel's from just before their meeting with Caius. She searched for an answer but found it difficult to come up with. "Baby, I already told you, it's my job. I go through the Chappa'ai with the rest of SG-1 to protect the galaxy from the bad guys. It's what I do."

"But you could stay here and still protect the galaxy." Zari's chin came up stubbornly. "Dr. Bill says you know more about alien technology than anyone else in three galaxies, even Auntie Samantha. And Mr. Siler says no one can fix the Chappa'ai as fast as you. And Uncle Colonel Cam-"

"Okay, okay, I get it." Vala laughed. "My job here is very important but so is the one I'm going on now."

"But I want you to stay here with me."

"I know, angel, and I want to be here. I'll think about what you said and we'll see if we can't work something out when I get back, all right?"

Zari seemed to mull it over for a moment before nodding and kissing Vala's cheek. "Okay."

"Good, now run along and find Dr. Bill. He said something about a Jell-O experiment." Vala set the little girl down and smiled as she bolted from the room. She wasn't lying when she'd told Zari she'd rather stay on Earth and not just because she had no desire to see her ex-husband again. The idea of being away from her girls for a long period of time made her sad. Maybe she could cut back on her off-world travels. But for now, she had no choice. She was going to walk right into Potho's trap and end this.

"I don't want you to go, either." came a small voice behind her and Vala turned to see Kierda standing in the doorway of the VIP quarters.

"I know, love, but as I just told Zari, I have to go. I'll be back soon and we'll have ourselves a girls-night-in with Samantha, Cassandra and Carolyn. How does that sound?"

"Fine." Kierda said with a forced smile.

"Okay, I know that look. I _invented_ that look. What's really bothering you?" Vala sat on the sofa and motioned Kierda to do the same.

"I don't know." Kierda sighed and lay her head on Vala's shoulder. "I just have a really bad feeling about this."

Vala pulled Kierda closer to her and took a deep breath before answering. She knew exactly how her sister felt, she had the same bad feeling. Something was going to go awry, she just knew it. "Listen, Kierda, I think you're old enough for the truth. This job I'm going on is very dangerous and, as much as I would like to send someone else, it has to be me. I promise to do everything within my power to get back to you and Zari, you have my word on that. Nothing, and I mean _nothing_ in the universe is more important to me than your safety. Got it?"

"Yeah, I've got it. Thanks for not lying to me, Vala."

"Never." Vala told her resolutely and stood, pulling the girl with her. "Now, I have to get ready. You going to be okay?"

"Yes, I think so."

Vala nodded and started to walk away when Kierda's voice pulled her back. "Vala, I want to...I, uh..." Kierda rushed over to Vala and threw her arms around her waist, to which Vala did the same. "I love you, Vala."

"I love you, too, Kierda." Vala said and hugged her sister tighter, placing a kiss to the girl's hair. "I love you, too."

()()()()

"So, Princess, wanna tell me again why we're 'gating to this planet instead of taking the _Odyssey_?"

"Because it's what Potho requested." Vala told Mitchell absently as she fiddled with her P-90.

"Yeah, not exactly a good recommendation."

"Don't you trust me, Cameron?"

"You? Definitely. Your crazy ex? Not so much."

"I'd have to agree with Mitchell." Daniel put in.

"Really, boys, everything is going to be fine."

"While I agree that this plan is flawed, I have to go with Vala on this one." Sam said and Vala smiled at her best friend. "The _Odyssey_ is already at the coordinates and has verified that the flagship is there. We have our tracking devices and, with the _Odyssey's _new cloaking ability-"

"Okay, yeah, I get it. We're prepared. I just don't like this set-up."

"I believe that Colonel Carter and Vala Mal Doran are correct." Teal'c said. "This may be our best chance to stop whomever is attacking Vala Mal Doran and her sisters."

"Okay, Big Guy." Cam said on a sigh then looked up to the control room. "Walter, hit it."

As Walter called out the Chevrons, Vala took a moment to glance behind him to where her sisters stood with Cassandra. Even from this distance, Vala could see the worry in Kierda's eyes. She tried to send a reassuring smile but knew she failed. How could she set her sister's mind at ease when she couldn't even quell her own fears? Her eyes lifted to Cassandra's, sending a silent message: Protect them. Cassandra nodded in acknowledgement and Vala turned away.

"Chevron seven is locked." Walter announced.

"Well, let's get this over with." she told her team as she started up the ramp.

"Godspeed, SG-1." Landry called out and Vala turned once more to send the general a grateful smile before entering the event horizon.

Upon exiting, her hands went directly to her P-90. A team of about a dozen Alliance underlings stood before them, all heavily armed and angry-looking. Vala groaned as one stepped forward, an evil grin on his face.

"Vala, it has certainly been a while." the dark-haired man said.

"Not long enough, believe me, Arton. I see you're still taking orders from Potho."

"Some of us believe in loyalty."

Vala snorted at that but made no response.

"Another friend of yours, Princess?" Cam asked, not taking his eyes, or gun, off the guards.

"Hardly. Arton is simply Potho's lackey. Never could think for himself."

"Let's see if we can't rectify that." Arton said. Before any of them could act, the sound of zat fire echoed in the clearing. Vala felt the familiar sting and fell to the ground, watching as the others did the same. Yep, _really_ bad feeling, she thought as everything went dark.


	15. Chapter 14

You would think moving would get easier the more you do it, wouldn't you? Not so much. But, I think I've finally got the last "neccessary" box unpacked. YAY! I  
actually wrote this entire chapter last night. You can all thank Tel nok shock for bullying...er, I mean _encouraging_ me to work on this story. Thanks to her, I also  
wrote the next chapter. I just have to polish it a bit and should have it up tomorrow. Thanks for sticking with me on this one.

* * *

**Chapter 14**

Vala opened her eyes carefully and squinted, thankful that the lighting in the room was dim because her head was pounding. Before she could figure out exactly why that was, though, she heard a groan beside her. Glancing over, she barely recognised the outline of a male body. Which male, though, she wasn't sure. Bracing herself on her elbows, Vala poked the person in the ribs.

"Ouch, dammit!"

"Cameron, you're alive." Vala grinned in relief.

"You sure?" he asked with another groan as he sat up. "What happened?"

"I think we've been captured."

"Again? Man, I've been in more jail cells since meeting you and Jackson-"

"Speaking of Daniel, where is he?"

"Over here." came the familiar voice from across the cell. Vala squinted and smiled when she saw him sitting against the wall next to Teal'c and Samantha.

"Well, looks like the whole gang's here." Cam commented. "Anybody know where "here" is?"

"I believe we are aboard a Ha'tak, Colonel Mitchell."

"So, Potho's flagship."

"That would appear to be the case. It would also seem that out tracking chips have been removed."

"Figures." Vala huffed. "Potho is nothing if not paranoid."

"I wonder where your ex is, anyway."

"Only one way to find out." Vala stood and found her way to the cell door. "Hey, Potho, you spineless son of an ektar! Show your pitiful face so I can rip it off."

"Way to lay on the charm, Princess."

Vala merely shrugged and continued to watch for Potho.

"What's an ektar?" she heard him whisper and knew Daniel was shrugging without looking at him. She grinned when she heard footsteps.

"Vala, dear, you always were the expressive sort."

"And you were always a pain in the mikta, Potho."

"Now, _that_ word I know." Cameron said.

Vala still refused to look back, keeping all of her attention on her ex-husband. She'd forgotten how handsome he was. Black hair, crystal blue eyes and a smile that used to make her heart melt. Now all she wanted to do was smack it off his smug face.

"I thought this was supposed to be a friendly meeting. Why the lovely greeting party and fancy accommodations?"

"Precautions, my love. Although, I do admit, Arton got a little carried away. After what you did to him the last time you saw him, I can't say I blame him."

"Maybe next time he'll watch where he puts his hands. Now, how about letting me and my friends out of here so we can have a nice, civilised conversation?"

"I don't know, I rather like you behind bars. Reminds me of the good old days." Vala flinched and backed away as his fingers trailed down her cheek. She heard a growl behind her and Potho chuckled. "You always did inspire a fierce sense of loyalty from people. Too bad it's rarely reciprocated."

Looking behind her, she saw that the boys had all stood, ready to pounce. Only Sam remained seated. She tried not to smile at the warmth that filled her, choosing instead to feign annoyance. "At ease, boys." Turning back to Potho, she grinned again. "Now, about letting us out..."

"I'll let you out, but the bodyguards stay put. Call it insurance."

"Fine, let's go then."

"Vala, no, you can't trust him." Daniel said and Vala could hear the worry in his voice.

"I'll be fine, darling." she said as she turned to him, warning him with a look not to make a scene. The last thing they needed was for Potho to realise that Daniel was her weakness. She knew he'd have no qualms about using that against her. "Trust me." After a few moments, Daniel nodded and Vala turned back to her ex-husband. "All right, let's go."

Potho stared at her as he unlocked the door, probably trying to figure out just what was going on but Vala kept her face completely devoid of emotions. She followed him through the corridors until they reached a throne room. "Nice set-up you have here." she rolled her eyes and shook her head as he took a seat on the ornate Goa'uld throne.

"I like it." He patted the throne beside his and smirked up at her. "Have a seat, my dear."

"I'd rather stand, thank you."

"As you wish. Now, let's get down to business. Your Tau'ri friends have been asking questions about me and it's making my superiors nervous. Care to fill me in on this sudden obsession you seem to have?"

"You know exactly what I'm after. You had Jacek killed."

"Jacek? Oh, how I wish I could take the credit for that, but it wasn't me."

"You're lying."

"You know me, Vala. Better than most, in fact. If I'd killed him, you would know it. I would have tortured him first for his betrayal, not killed him on the spot. It's not my style."

Vala had to concede his point. He did have a sick obsession with torture. But if he hadn't killed Jacek... "If not you, who?"

"I don't know, but maybe you should be looking at whomever hired him to destroy my business."

"And who would that be?"

"Again, I don't know. I was hoping you did."

"Sorry, can't help you there."

"Oh, I think you can." he said in a slithery tone as he walked toward her and placed his mouth against her ear. She tried not to shudder when he whispered. "I think you have something I want and I plan to get it."

"I have nothing of yours." she said in a hard voice, thinking about her sisters. He would _not_ get his hands on them.

"But you do, my love. You just don't know it."

"What is it I'm supposed to have?"

"Your father transferred much of my operation's information onto a data crystal while he was here. I think he gave it to you."

"Ooo, out of luck, darling. I haven't seen Jacek in over a year and, to my knowledge, that was before he started working for you."

"You're lying. Jacek wouldn't have trusted anyone else with it. The man never stopped talking about his successful, heroic daughter. Grew rather tiresome, I must say."

Vala scoffed, trying to hide the pleasure she got from hearing that her father boasted about her. "Be that as it may, I'm not lying. I haven't seen him in a year and the only thing he left behind was a renewed distaste for his company."

Potho remained silent for a long while as he studied her and Vala made sure to keep up her façade. Finally, he spoke. "I believe you, Vala. But you are most definitely hiding something and I intend to find out just what it is."

He started to motion for one of the guards when Vala spoke up again. "Listen, if I promise to stay here and give you no trouble, will you let the others go?"

"Vala Mal Doran sacrificing herself for others? That's something I'd never thought to see."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous. I just don't relish the idea of spending goodness knows how long locked up with those people. They are quite the bore with all of their altruistic tendencies."

"'Ah, now that's the girl I remember. But I can't risk it. They will go back to their people and mount some sort of rescue for you. I hear the Tau'ri are a loyal bunch."

"Rubbish, they don't even like me half the time. They'll be glad to be rid of me, I'm sure. Besides, you said it yourself, the Tau'ri are loyal. What do you think their people will do when they realise you have their top team? Not to mention their allies."

"You may have a point." Potho conceded. "But I don't like the idea of simply setting them free. Any suggestions?"

"Why don't you drop them off on a planet without a Chappa'ai? You've already removed our transmitters. No one can just swoop down and pick them up and it will take weeks for them to reach Earth by ship. It will give you plenty of time to escape."

"I always did like the way you think." Potho said slowly and rose to stand in front of her. He grinned as he caressed her cheek. "All right, my love. The Tau'ri are free to go."

"And their Jaffa?" she asked, not wanting to allow him any out.

"And their Jaffa." he conceded with another grin.

"Good." Vala said and tried to smile but she knew it came out as more of a grimace.

"Oh, it will be, my dear. It will be, indeed."

Vala felt a shudder wash over her at his words.


	16. Chapter 15

As promised, here's the next installment. I'm working on chapter 16 as we speak so I should have it up soon. Enjoy this one and please review.

* * *

**Chapter 15**

"Thank you so much for the lovely escort, boys." Vala said to the guards as she was shoved into the cell and the door slammed in her face. They barely spared her a glance before walking away. She'd convinced Potho to let her tell the team what was happening but knew she had little time.

"Vala, are you all right?" Daniel asked as he rushed over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Did her hurt you?"

"No, darling." Vala smiled at the fierceness in her sweet Daniel's voice. "We did come to an agreement, though."

"What kind of agreement?" Cam asked warily.

"Give me a little credit, Cameron." Vala grinned cheekily at her CO as she disengaged herself from Daniel. "In exchange for my complete compliance, Potho has generously agreed to let you all go."

"Wait, what the hell does that mean?"

"It means you are free to go. I suggest you not make a fuss."

"That wasn't part of the plan! You were supposed to get the necessary information then convince him to set us _all_ free." Daniel yelled.

"Well, I had to improvise. There's no way he was going to let me go, so I did the next best thing. For once, just trust me!"

The team stared at Vala, shocked by the vehemence in her voice. They so rarely saw her this serious and it was always a surprise.

"We trust you, Princess. It's your ex we're sceptical of."

"I know, but believe me when I say this is the only way."

"Vala, there has to be another way." Daniel pleaded and grabbed hold of her arms.

"No, Daniel, there isn't. I've convinced Potho to drop you on a planet without a Stargate. When you do eventually reach ho-Earth, you can relay the information I'll give you and figure out what the hell is going on."

"No!" Daniel shouted but was interrupted by Teal'c.

"I believe Vala Mal Doran has chosen the only course of action left to her and we must trust in her abilities. I also do not believe Potho means her harm as he would likely have done so long ago if that were the case."

"But-"

"No, Daniel." Sam cut in. "He's right, we have to get home. There is too much at stake right now."

"What ever happened to not leaving anyone behind?"

"I hate to say it, Jackson, but I agree with them. The best way to figure this all out is to get home. We can do a lot more from there."

"This is ridiculous!"

"No, Daniel, what's ridiculous is that you seem to think you're the only one allowed to sacrifice for the team. Well, welcome to the other side. Not very enjoyable, is it?" Vala crossed her arms and stared angrily at Daniel, a look he gave right back. After a few moments, though, he backed down and laid a gentle hand on her face.

"Vala, I can't watch you do this. I can't lose you again."

"You're not going to lose me, darling." Vala said, placing her own hand over his for a brief moment. "You'll rescue me, I have faith in you. In _all_ of you. Just let me do this." They continued to look into each other's eyes for a few moments longer before Daniel finally nodded his ascent. "Good, now let's get down to business." Vala moved away, completely missing the determined look in Daniel's eyes. "Potho says he didn't have Jacek killed and I'm inclined to believe him. Trust me when I say a quick death is definitely _not_ his style."

"Princess..." Cam said as the worry crept back into his eyes.

"Don't worry, Cameron, he won't hurt me." She gave him her most winning smile, knowing he wasn't going to buy it but needing to keep up the front. "Now, Potho also informed me that Jacek had in his possession a data crystal with information pertaining to Alliance operations. That's very valuable intel. He seemed to believe I have it, though. I think I finally convinced him I don't, but he has a very suspicious nature. Now, I want you to-"

"All right, Vala." came Potho's voice from the corridor. "Time's up. Your friends have to go home now."

Vala rolled her eyes and shook her head. Pulling Sam into a quick embrace, she whispered in the other woman's ear. "There's a box under my bed. Be sure to look inside. And keep my girls safe. I'm counting on you." Pulling back before anyone could say another word, Vala grinned at the team. "Well, it was nice while it lasted but, as you Tau'ri say, all good things must come to an end. Maybe we'll meet again some time." She started to walk away when Daniel's voice rang out.

"Let the others go. I'm staying with Vala."

Oh, Daniel, Vala thought and cringed at the speculative look Potho was passing between the two of them.

"Well, it would seem that someone amongst the Tau'ri is loyal to you, Vala. I wonder just how deep that loyalty goes."

"It's nothing, Potho. Daniel here simply has a compulsion to always do the right thing. Trust me, he'd do it for anyone. Besides, he's more trouble than he's worth."

"I'm not leaving, so you may as well concede to my wishes."

"Potho, anyone can see he's a fool. Trust me."

"No, I think I will keep Dr. Jackson around. Call it leverage."

"But-"

"Mikat, Alain." Potho called to the two guards flanking him. "Take the rest of SG-1 to the planet but leave Dr. Jackson and Vala." With that, Potho left and Mitchell, Sam and Teal'c were all led away.

Vala sent Daniel a heated glare before moving off to the other side of the cramped cell, completely ignoring every entreaty he tried to make. Finally he gave up and sat down as far away as possible. She'd been right, he was definitely a fool.


	17. Chapter 16

We're nearing the end of this story. Not sure how many more chapters, though. This one took me a few days, but I finally finished it. Hope you like it.

* * *

**Chapter 16**

"C'mon, Vala, you can't ignore me forever." Daniel said in a pleading tone. "We're going to be stuck here for at least a few days, you're going to have to talk to me eventually."

"Contrary to what you obviously believe, Daniel, I do, in fact, know how to remain quiet. Unlike you." she told him with a pointed glare before looking away once again.

Daniel sighed as he made his way over to Vala. Sitting down behind her, he placed his hands on her shoulders and smiled when she shivered in response. At least she wasn't immune to him. "I said I was sorry. Many times, in fact. What else can I do? Why are you so angry with me?"

"Why?" she asked incredulously and turned to face him. "I'll tell you why. Because this is exactly what I said would happen if we got involved. I knew one of us would do something reckless and stupid. Well, darling, there's your proof." By this time, Vala had standing and pacing.

"You want me to apologise for caring about you? For loving you?" Daniel stood right in Vala's path, forcing her to stop. "Well, I won't do it. I love you and I'm going to protect you whenever it's in my power to do so."

"Don't you get it? You're _not_ protecting me. In fact, you're putting both our lives in danger simply by being here. Potho is going to use us against each other."

"There was no way I was leaving you alone with your crazy ex to let him do god only knows what. I can't bear to see you hurt."

"Well, darling, you may not have a choice. If Potho thinks he can get information out of one of us by hurting the other, you'd better believe he'll do it."

"I don't care what he does to me, as long as you're safe.

"You're still not getting it, are you?" Vala asked in a dispirited tone as she turned away from him. "I feel the same way about you being hurt and I'm afraid of what I'll give away under duress." Turning back to him, she wasn't able to stop the tear from falling down her cheek. "I could almost forgive you for putting our lives in danger. It's our job. But, in refusing to leave, you've also put Kierda and Zari's lives on the line. I don't know if I can forgive you for that."

Daniel watched in dismay as Vala once again walked away. He didn't say a word as he collapsed to the floor. He hadn't thought of the long-reaching consequences of his actions. Not only had he endangered the lives of two children he was beginning to think of as his own, but he may have just screwed up any chance he had with Vala. Sorrow filled him and he lay back against the wall in defeat.

()()()()

"Well, it's been real, guys, but I think this is where we go our separate ways." Cam said with a smarmy smile at Mikat and Alain before turning back to Sam and Teal'c. "Crap."

"Indeed, Colonel Mitchell." Teal'c said as the three members of SG-1 raised their hands in surrender to the gun aimed their way.

"Gotta admit, I called this one." Cam smirked when Sam simply rolled her eyes. "So, Arton, what's up? I thought your boss said we were free to go."

"My boss said to drop you on this planet. He did not specify what was to be done afterwards."

"Damn, gotta remember to check that fine print next time."

"I saw nothing in writing, Colonel Mitchell."

"It's just...Never mind, big guy. So, I'm guessing you're not going to let us find a cargo ship and be on our merry way."

"You guess correctly." Arton said with an evil grin as he raised his weapon higher.

"So, plan B?" Cam asked with a shrug in Sam's direction.

"Sure, plan A never seems to work out, any way."

"Okay, here's the deal. You lower your weapons and let us go or we unleash the big guy on ya. Whadya say?"

"I say you're as crazy as the reports say you are." Arton laughed. "There are three of us, all with weapons trained on you. We have the upper hand. What could possibly make us let you go?"

"How about them?" Cam asked, as a half-dozen armed marines suddenly materialised around them. He grinned as Arton's jaw gaped. "Weren't expectin' that, were you? I guess your guys didn't do such a good job of searching us, otherwise they would have discovered the back-up subcutaneous transmitters we had put in for this mission."

"If you think you've outsmarted us, think again. Potho still has Vala and Dr. Jackson. When we don't arrive at the rendezvous point, he will not be kind to them. You have my word." Arton glared, still refusing to lower his weapon.

"Yeah, I'm not too worried. Vala can take care of herself and Jackson still has at least five lives left. I would suggest that you put the guns away, though. Marines are known for being a bit trigger-happy."

After a few moments, Arton surrendered his weapon and signalled for Mikat and Alain to do the same. "This is far from over."

"Yeah, I've heard that before. May I?" Cam indicated the radio on a young marine's vest then spoke into it. "_Odyssey_, this is Colonel Mitchell. Mission successful. Twelve to beam up." Just before he felt the familiar tingle, Cam grabbed hold of Arton as two marines did the same to his lackeys. "I'd hold on if I were you."

Arton's glare was lost in the bright white light as they were beamed away.

()()()()

Vala stared despondently at Daniel across the room. They hadn't spoken in over three hours, which was rare for them. It made her uneasy, but she didn't know what she could say. Before she could think of anything, though, Potho's voice roared down the corridor.

"What the hell are you up to, Vala?!" he yelled as he appeared at the cell door.

"Whatever do you mean, darling?" she asked in a saccharine voice, trying no to let the hollowness she felt come through.

"You know exactly what I mean. My men never showed up at the rendezvous point after dropping off your teammates. You planned this, didn't you?"

"So, they got away? Well, it looks like my work here is done."

"Are you forgetting? You're still my prisoner and you will pay for your betrayal. Much as your father would have if I'd had the chance."

"Do what you want with me." she told him coldly, sincerely hoping Daniel kept his mouth shut this time. She breathed a sigh of relief when he remained silent but it also worried her. Shrugging off the feeling, she turned back to Potho. "As long as I know my friends are safe, there's nothing you can do to hurt me that hasn't been done before."

"Oh, but I think there is." Potho turned and called for a couple of guards. "Grab Dr. Jackson and bring him to my interrogation chamber. One way or another, you will talk, Vala."

Vala wanted to protest as her ex-husband walked away and his two henchmen led Daniel out, but knew it would do more harm than good. She'd have to trust Daniel to be strong enough to withstand anything Potho doled out. But, from the look of him as he'd left, she wasn't too certain of that. Curling up into a corner, Vala was barely able to suppress the tears that wanted desperately to fall. If they got out of this alive, she was going to kill one Dr. Daniel Jackson.

* * *

**A/N: **Yeah, the escape was a bit easy, but you had to know SG-1 had a plan. :D

**A/N2: **I want to keep this rated T, so I don't know how much of the torture I'm going to put in here.


	18. Chapter 17

I've had this chapter sitting about for a bit of a while but wasn't sure about the ending. I've decided to post it and let you guys tell me what you think, especially since I'm not sure when I'm going to be able to post another one. RL is being a jerk right now. Anywho, enjoy this and please review.

* * *

**Chapter 17**

SG-1 was back. Kierda had been wandering about the base when she'd overheard two SFs mention that the team would be coming through the 'gate at any moment and she'd taken off for the gateroom at top speed. She couldn't wait to see Vala. Not that she hadn't missed the others, especially Daniel, but she had to see her sister. Had to be certain that she was all right. Maybe then this queer feeling she'd had since their departure would go away. Rounding the corner, she stopped just outside the open blast door and was just in time to see the wormhole engage. It seemed to take a lifetime before the familiar ripple appeared on the event horizon and Cameron walked through with an angry looking man in restraints. A few seconds later, he was joined by Samantha and Teal'c who were also leading prisoners. Judging by the clothing, the men were Alliance and the realisation made Kierda shrink back a bit.

"Shut it down, Walter." Cameron called to the control room and Kierda's heart stuttered. Where were Vala and Daniel?

"Colonel Mitchell, who are these men?" General Landry demanded from the base of the ramp.

"Who, these guys?" Mitchell smirked and pulled on the handcuffs connected to his prisoner who growled in response. "Oh, these are out new friends. Thought they might like to stay here for a bit. Maybe use one of our nice little meeting rooms with the chains. We have a lot to talk over."

Landry stared at the colonel for a moment before nodding to the SFs. "Tale them to the interrogation rooms. Separate rooms."

"You might want to think about putting on an extra guard for this one." Cam said as he handed over the man. "Arton here is a wily bugger."

As the men were led away, the one Cameron had called Arton noticed her. His eyes narrowed and he studied her carefully. Kierda tried to keep her face down but her eyes lifted to see him. He looked suspicious but one of the SFs grabbed him roughly and pulled him down the corridor. Kierda felt a chill race up her spine but chose to ignore it as she focussed her attention back on the gateroom.

"Where are Dr. Jackson and Miss Mal Doran?" Landry asked, echoing Kierda's earlier thoughts.

"We ran into a slight problem, Sir." Samantha told her commanding officer.

"What sort of problem?"

"We were right, it was a trap." Cam took over the explanation. "Vala and Jackson are still being held on Potho's flagship."

"No! She promised!" Kierda shouted and every one's gaze turned to her but she barely noticed as she turned on her heel and ran off.

Silence cloaked the gateroom for a few moments as every one stared at the spot where Kierda had been.

"I should go-" Sam started only to be interrupted.

"I would suggest allowing Kierda Mal Doran some time to herself. She is much like her sister and would not appreciate having any one around her until she has had time to bring herself under control."

"The big guy is right." Cam said on a sigh. "Besides, she can't go any where and I reckon Cass is still on base."

Sam hesitated for a moment before acquiescing. As much as she hated to admit it, the guys were right.

"Go get checked out." Landry broke in. "Debriefing in one hour."

The team walked out of the gateroom and headed for the infirmary with heavy hearts. None knew who they were more worried about, their teammates or the girls.

()()()()

"Let me get this straight." Landry said with a sigh as he looked around the briefing room table at three-fifths of his flagship team. "You made it to the planet, were ambushed, captured and held prisoner. Somehow Miss Mal Doran worked it out so every one but her was to be set free. Then Dr. Jackson intervened and is also being held prisoner with Miss Mal Doran. You were taken to another planet, nearly executed then rescued by the _Odyssey_ while also managing to capture three of Potho's men. Is that correct?"

"That's about it, Sir." Cam said with a sheepish look while the other two SG-1 members merely nodded in agreement.

"And why didn't you get into contact once you were back aboard the ship?"

"There really wasn't time, Sir." Sam told him. "We knew we had to find Potho's ship so we could get Daniel and Vala back. Teal'c was sent to...interrogate Arton. He gave up the rendezvous coordinates quickly."

"Why didn't you rescue Miss Mal Doran and Dr. Jackson, then?"

"Because, Sir, when we were first captured, the _Odyssey_ tried to beam us out but there seems to be a shield in place that interferes with the technology. We knew we had to get to the coordinates quickly or lose them completely so we had Colonel Davidson drop us off on the nearest planet with a 'gate and he took the _Odyssey_ to keep watch on Potho's ship. They're hoping to devise a plan to get past the shielding."

"Why didn't you stay there to help?"

"Because Vala gave me what she seemed to believe was valuable intel and it can only be verified here."

"What sort of intel?"

"I'm not sure yet, Sir, but I intend to find out."

"All right." Landry said and stood, nodding as his subordinates did the same. "Welcome home, SG-1. Dismissed."

"What exactly did Vala tell you?" Cam asked once Landry was gone.

"I'll let you know when I know." Sam said and hurriedly left the room.

"Any idea what that's about, Teal'c?"

"I do not, Colonel Mitchell."

Both men stared out into the corridor after their teammate. If they knew Sam, she'd have this all figured out and the rest of the team back on Earth within a day.


	19. Chapter 18

I took an hour yesterday, on my birthday!, to write this just for you guys. You better appreciate it. :P Hope you like it and please review.

* * *

**Chapter 18**

Sam searched the entire base for about an hour trying to locate Kierda, to no avail. Then something Teal'c said about her being a lot like Vala struck her and that's how she found herself standing in the doorway to Daniel's office. Kierda was curled up on the sofa, hugging Vala's giraffe to her chest. The sight made Sam smile as she recalled seeing Vala do the same exact thing on numerous occasions. It was oddly comforting.

"You wanna talk about it?" Sam asked as she walked into the room, closing the door behind her. Kierda started a bit but didn't look up.

"What's the point?" the girl asked, burying her head deeper into the giraffe's fur. "Vala broke her promise, just like every one else. I should have expected that, shouldn't have trusted her. It's my fault for being so gullible."

"You're not gullible, Kierda." Sam told her as she took a seat on the opposite end of the sofa. "Vala will be back. Trust me, staying behind was one of the hardest decisions she's ever made but she did it for you and Zari. She's tying to protect you."

"I don't want her to protect me! I can take care of myself. I just want her home where she's safe."

"I know, so do I, but she's doing what she believes is right. We have to trust that she knows what she's doing, okay?"

"Okay." Kierda said after a long moment, still looking worried.

"Listen, we just got word from the _Odyssey_ that they've located the ship Daniel and Vala are on. As soon as they figure out how to get past the shields, they'll be beamed over. The crew is very smart so it shouldn't take too long."

"If you say so." Kierda said sceptically and Sam had to laugh at how much she sounded like Vala.

"I do say so. However, I'll also be working on the problem from here." That seemed to take away some of Kierda's anxiety and Sam had to smile. It was nice to know the girl trusted her so much. "Do you want to help me?"

"Maybe later." Kierda said slowly. "I think I want to stay here for a little longer. It makes me feel..."

"Yeah, I know." Sam smiled and rubbed a hand down Kierda's arm in understanding. "I'll be in my lab if you need me."

"Thank you, Samantha." Kierda said and hugged her.

"Any time, honey." Sam told her sincerely, hugging her back. Pulling away, she left the office and headed straight for the VIP quarters. She was going to make certain that Kierda's faith in her was not misplaced.

()()()()

Vala sat cross-legged on the single cot in her cell as another scream echoed down the hall. Potho was having Daniel tortured and it was all her fault. If she hadn't shown weakness...If she'd insisted Daniel leave...If she hadn't fallen in love with him in the first place...Vala shook her head to dislodge the thoughts. They were no good to her right now. She had to concentrate on figuring a way out of this mess. She knew her clue to Samantha had been cryptic but had faith that the other woman would figure it out. It was only a matter of time...

Her thoughts were once again interrupted as she heard Daniel scream again and she couldn't help imagining what he was going through. She knew exactly what Potho's collection of torture devices was like and it sent a shudder through her. Some were Goa'uld but most were from various worlds they'd visited. It was the first thing he looked into when he discovered a new culture. He'd told her many times that every culture, no matter how enlightened, had a way to torture others. He'd become a master at making people suffer and took pleasure in it. He had a sick blood-lust that encompassed every aspect of his life. What he loved even more than physical abuse, though, was psychological torment. He knew what he was putting her through by allowing her to hear Daniel's pain and not being able to do anything about it. It made her want to kill him, choke the life out of him with her bare hands...

"Well, Vala, my love." came Potho's slimy voice and Vala had to control her actions before she leapt at him and did exactly what she'd been fantasising over. "Are you ready to talk?"

"About what, darling?" she asked in a cold voice that didn't betray her emotions at all.

"Don't be a fool, Vala." he said angrily. "I want to know what you're hiding from me."

"Let me guess, Daniel hasn't broken, has he?" Vala said with a knowing smirk. "He won't either. The man is nothing if not stubborn. You won't get what you want from either of us so you may as well give it up."

"You know me better than that, Vala. I'm not the type to give up, especially when I'm enjoying myself so completely. Eventually one of you will talk."

"Good luck with that." she told him flippantly. His only answer was to growl and walk away. A few moments later, Daniel's screams resonated through the corridors again and Vala curled herself into a ball, fighting the tears that wanted to fall. "Please, Samantha, you have to hurry." She sent out the plea, hoping someone was listening. Hoping someone cared.


	20. Chapter 19

Remember when I said this story was nearing the end? Well, I was wrong. Shocking, isn't it? Anywho, I had this originally at 22 chapters but now I'm thinking more like 25-30. This has become a lot more complicated and involved than I'd first anticipated, so bear with me, please.

* * *

**Chapter 19**

Landry looked up at the knock on his door and was only mildly surprised to see who stood there. "Agent Barrett, what can I do for you?" he asked, standing to shake the man's hand. After the pleasantries, both men sat and eyed each other carefully.

"General Landry, it has come to the attention of the NID that two members of SG-1 have been captured...Again."

"That's right. Dr. Jackson and Miss Mal Doran are being held on the flagship controlled by a leader in the Lucian Alliance."

"Yes, I am aware of that. I'm here to find out what actions are being taken to retrieve them."

"We are doing everything possible to get our people back." Landry said, doing his best to hide his annoyance. "Why is the NID so concerned?"

"Dr. Jackson and Miss Mal Doran are two of this facility's most valuable assets. Their knowledge pertaining to the program is very extensive and we want to be certain they are recovered before any thing detrimental to our planet is obtained by the enemy."

"You mean, before they spill our secrets." Landry said, no longer able to hide his anger.

"I didn't want to be so blunt but, yes, that is exactly what the NID is afraid of. We are very familiar with this Potho's reputation and his ability to get information out of people. He has been on our radar for some time now."

"I wish someone had seen fit to inform me of all this."

"You would have been appraised when and if we deemed it necessary. Had we known of SG-1's meeting with Potho-"

"Forgive me for not running this mission by the NID first, but time was of the essence."

"Be that as it may, I wish to be kept abreast of the retrieval. The NID is well aware of Miss Mal Doran's former relationship with Potho and her current one with Dr. Jackson. The mere fact that they are still on the same team concerns us greatly. There is no telling what lengths Potho will go to in order to get information out of them."

"Rest assured, _my_ people are doing everything in their power to rescue them." Landry stood, effectively dismissing the other man. "Miss Mal Doran and Dr. Jackson have never given me a reason to doubt their ability to keep their focus on the objective. I trust that our secrets will remain just that."

"I hope you're right, General." Barrett said as he left the office.

Re-taking his seat, Landry had to resist the urge to throw something at the man. He'd always liked Malcolm Barrett as he was one of the few trustworthy men in a covert organisation. But he had just shown Landry that he was a bureaucrat above all else and his main allegiance was to his fellow suits, not the SGC. It also worried him that the NID seemed to know a lot about the inner workings of the Alliance and it set him on edge to be kept in the dark of such pertinent information.

"Walter!" Landry called to his right arm.

"Yes, Sir." the sergeant said as he entered the office. "I've got the SFs on alert and a team of marines following Agent Barrett's every move. Anything else, Sir?"

"No, that'll be all." Landry waited until Walter nodded and left before shaking his head in amazement. He felt some of his wariness ease knowing matters were well in hand but he promised to keep his own eyes on the NID agent, just to be safe.

()()()()

"Hey, Carter, whatcha doin'?"

Sam looked up from her computer screen and stared in shock at the person in her doorway. "Sir, what are you doing here?"

"What, a guy can't just drop by to see old friends?" Jack asked with a grin. When Sam simply continued to stare at him, he shrugged. "I heard the spacemomnkey and his space pirate got themselves captured again. Any news?"

"Not yet." the colonel sighed despondently, turning back to her computer with a glare. "I can't figure out the sequence of this code. Every time I think I've cracked it, I discover another subtext which leads to another firewall. And each layer is thicker than the last. If I could just find a back door...This would be a lot simpler if Vala were here."

"Yeah, but if she were here, you wouldn't be doing this in the first place."

Sam looked up at the general and felt a smile tug at her lips. Shaking her head in defeat, she allowed her body to relax a little and fell back into her seat. "You're right, I just wish that were the case."

"C'mon, those two have disappeared before." Jack said consolingly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You'll figure it out. You always do."

"I know." Sam sighed again, placing her hand over his. "It's just...it's not just about us any more. I'm worried about the girls. They've lost so much already, I don't want to even think about what will happen if they lose Vala and Daniel, too."

"They won't." Jack told her in a firm voice, squeezing her hand reassuringly. "Speaking of which, where are our junior pirates?"

Sam snorted, knowing exactly what Jack was doing but allowed him to change the subject. "Zari is off peppering Bill with question. He's taken quite a shine to her. And, last I checked, Kierda was in her quarters. She's the one I'm really concerned about. She's so fragile..."

"She'll be fine because we're going to get our troublemakers back. Now, I have to see a general about some delinquents. You gonna be okay, Sam?"

"Yes, Jack." Sam gave him a real smile this time. "Thank you."

Jack simply nodded and left. Sam stared at the door for a few minutes before turning back to work with renewed vigour. Jack was right, she was going to get to them. She had to.

* * *

**A/N:** I've been trying to figure out how to get Jack into this story and I finally did it! Yay!

**A/N2:** I know Barrett isn't usually this much of a jerk, but I needed an NID suit and he is the one I'm most familiar with.


	21. Chapter 20

Had a few days off so I decided to bust out a couple chapters of this story. Not sure when I'll have that kind of time again but I'm going to try and finish this one by summer's end.

* * *

**Chapter 20**

"Any luck yet?" Cam asked as he walked into Sam's lab.

"Maybe." Sam replied non-committally, glancing up from the computer she and Kierda were hunched over. "We've been poring over the code configuration for the shield protecting Potho's ship and I think I see the problem. There's an entire sequence missing. Without it, we can't hack into the system to get through."

"Okay, what do you need to crack it?"

"That's just it, I don't know." Sam heard the frustration in her voice and didn't even bother to hide it. She couldn't explain it, but she knew they were running out of time.

"What about the intel Vala gave us?" Cam asked, taking a seat on the extra stool. "She said something about a data crystal. What did she whisper to you before we left?"

"She told me to look in the box under her bed." Sam indicated the wooden box sitting on her table. "All I found was jewellery. I even searched for secret compartments but there were none. There's something I'm missing here but I'll be damned if I can figure it out."

"You'll get it, Sam." Cam rested a hand on her shoulder with a reassuring smile. "In the meantime, mind if I take a look through the box?"

"Go ahead, maybe you'll pick up on what I missed." Sam said despairingly, turning back to the console. She glanced over at Kierda who looked even more disheartened than she felt and placed an arm around the girl's shoulders, pulling her into a side hug. "We'll figure this out."

Kierda merely gave her an unconvincing smile and shrugged before turning her attention back to their work. Sam sighed, thinking of how much the mannerisms reminded her of Vala. She'd been pleased when Kierda had decided to help her. The girl had an innate understanding of how code worked and she'd been a great help. In fact, she was the reason Sam had noticed the missing sequence. She'd pointed out an inconsistency that Sam had actually missed. They'd been so excited over their discovery but the glee had slowly dwindled as they realised that they couldn't recreate that code without an idea of what it was. For the last hour, Sam had watched Kierda's spirits get lower and lower and she wondered if letting her help had been the right decision. She'd even tried to get Kierda to take a break, but the girl had stubbornly refused. Another trait she shared with her big sister, Sam thought in sad amusement. Her thoughts were cut off suddenly by Cam's excited yelp.

"Hey, I recognise this!" he said, holding up a simple necklace with a copper pendant dangling from the chain.

"You've probably seen Vala wearing it." Sam said, not recognising the piece herself.

"No, no, that's not it." Cam stared at the necklace, studying it carefully then snapped his fingers. "Got it! I saw this at Jacek's when he was on Earth. I remember because it looked out of place and I'd wondered if he'd stolen it."

Sam and Cam looked over at Kierda when they heard a humourless snort emanate from her but the girl remained silent, staring at the trinket.

"You're saying Jacek gave this to Vala?" Sam asked, viewing the contents of the box in a different light. She'd thought the jewellery had simply been pieces Vala had gathered over the years, but now...

"Yeah, and I'm thinking this is what Vala wanted us to find."

"But why? There's nothing special about it. It's just-"

"Oh my gods!" Kierda exclaimed suddenly and stood, calling over her shoulder as she took off out of the lab, "I'll be right back!"

"Ookay, any idea..."

"Nope, not a clue." Sam answered Cam's unfinished question, staring at the doorway in bewilderment. Ten minutes later, she was contemplating going after Kierda when the girl returned, carrying a small box.

"Can I see that?" Kierda asked, placing the box down and indicating the necklace. Cam handed it to her with a shrug and Kierda inserted the pendant into a hole on the side. They heard the distinct click of a lock disengaging.

"It's a key?" Cam wondered aloud. Sam merely shrugged and they both looked to Kierda for an explanation.

"Jacek gave me this box a week before he was...killed. He told me if any thing should happen to him, I was to keep it safe. He wouldn't tell me what was inside, only that he'd made arrangements for me to find the key when the time was right. I'd completely forgotten about it until now." Kierda lifted the lid and they all looked inside.

"That's a..." Cam started.

"Goa'uld data crystal." Sam finished, pulling the device from the box and studying it closely.

"Do you think that's the one Vala was talking about?"

"More than likely. And I'll bet the information we're looking for is on here." Sam said distractedly as she moved to another console.

"Well, I'll leave you to it. Let me know what you find." Cam said, realising that Sam had zoned out on him, taking Kierda with her. He grinned, shaking his head as he left. He knew it was only a matter of time before Sam cracked this and he had his team back together.

()()()()

"What have you got, Colonel?" General Landry asked as he took a seat at the briefing room table with SG-1 and Jack.

"Well, Sir, this data crystal contains about 6 terabytes of information concerning the Lucian Alliance." Sam told him, holding up the device. "I was able to isolate the sequence for the shields and, with a few minor adjustments to compensate for-"

"Colonel, please."

"Oh, right. Sorry, Sir. I was able to send the newly configured data to the _Odyssey_ so they'll be able to beam Daniel and Vala off Potho's ship. It may take a bit of time if they have to adjust it on their end, but we should have our people back by the end of the day."

"Very good." the general nodded. "What about the rest of the information on there?"

"There is an amazing amount of intel on this crystal. We have names, locations of kassa fields and naquadah mines, information about the Alliance's fleet...I've only been able to scan a small amount of the information. Jacek must have been at it practically from the moment he left Earth."

"Any idea who he was working for?"

"No, Sir, there's no indication, but with a little more time-"

"I'm afraid that won't be possible, Colonel." Barrett said as he entered the briefing room. "That crystal is now the property of the NID and the US government."

"Excuse me?" Cam asked, incredulously.

"That crystal belongs to the NID and I am here to collect it. Please hand it over, Colonel Carter."

"Wait." Cam said, holding up a hand and forestalling the exchange. "Are you saying that Vala's father was working for the NID?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Barrett confirmed. "Jacek Mal Doran was recruited shortly after he came to Earth. His objective was to implement himself into the Lucian Alliance and gather intel which he would then hand over to us. Unfortunately, we lost contact with him about a month ago. We sent an agent to investigate but it was too late. He was already dead and the crystal was gone. We'd assumed it had been recovered by the Alliance until we learnt of his daughters."

"You didn't know about the girls either?" Sam asked sceptically.

"Do you really think we would have left them if we'd known?"

"Not if you believed they had the information you wanted." Cam said derisively. "It was your people who tore Vala's house apart, wasn't it?"

"I concede that they could have gone about it differently, but it was necessary-"

"It was "necessary" to displace two young children from a home they were just becoming acclimated to? It was "necessary" to frighten those children for your own gain?" Cam seethed and stood, ready to lunge at this jerk but Sam held him back with a warning hand on his arm.

"He's not worth it, Colonel." Jack told the younger man and Cam finally sat slowly, staring daggers at Barrett. The agent had the grace to squirm a little under the regard.

"Like I said, we may have gone about it differently, but you've seen the crystal. You know what information it contains. The survival of our planet could depend upon this knowledge."

"And the NID is all about altruism." Cam put in sarcastically but was cut off by the twin glares of Landry and Jack.

"Colonel Carter, do we have all of the necessary information to rescue Miss Mal Doran and Dr. Jackson?" Landry asked.

"Yes, Sir, but-"

"Good." Landry once more cut her off and looked at Barrett with a hard glare. "Take the crystal and leave my complex, Agent Barrett."

Barrett opened his mouth to say something but seemed to think better of it. Taking the crystal from the now-scowling Sam, he nodded once. "Thank you, General."

"You're welcome. Now get out."

Barrett left without another word and everyone turned to stare at the general.

"Sir, all that intel..." Cam began but Landry raised a hand to stop him. Before he could say anything, though, the klaxons blared an announcement blasted through the corridors.

"Attention all personnel! Breach on level 16. The prisoner has escaped."

Everyone in the room shared a concerned look as they rose and left quickly.

"I warned them that Arton was a wily bugger." Cam said and no one argued.


	22. Chapter 21

A/N: So I went back and re-read chapter 17 and realised that I'd put Colonel Emerson as the commander of the _Odyssey_. Talk about a major slip. I can't believe none of you called me on this one. :D Anywho, I went back and fixed it.

* * *

**Chapter 21**

"Vala, I have given you sufficient time to consider my proposal." Potho said in a hard tone. "What's it going to be? Are you going to talk or condemn yourself and Dr. Jackson to a very slow, very painful death?"

"You're not going to burn me alive are you?" Vala said in a smarmy tone as she met his eyes fearlessly. "Because, I'll tell you, that's about as painful a death as I've ever experienced."

Potho looked at her in shock for a moment but quickly composed his features into a hard scowl. "I take it you will not be giving me the answers I seek, then."

"Pretty much."

"Very well." Potho nodded then left. Vala stared suspiciously at the spot he'd vacated for a moment before he returned with two guards dragging what she hoped was an unconscious Daniel between them.

"What have you done to him?" Vala demanded, standing as her ex-husband unlocked the cell and ordered his men to toss Daniel in. Vala immediately went to his side, placing his head on her lap and checking his pulse. She found it but it was weak and thready.

"I was surprised that this Tau'ri was able to withstand my torture as long as he did. His mind and body are equally strong. No matter what I did to him, he would not break. He actually said that as long as he knew you were safe, he didn't care what happened to him."

"Then why didn't you torture me, instead?"

"Come now, love, we both know physical torture has no affect on you. Tell me, what charms did you use on this one to make him so loyal?"

"No charms, Potho." Vala said weakly, never taking her eyes from Daniel's face. She rubbed a hand over her cheek and felt a tear run down her own. Finally looking up again, she sent a hard scowl Potho's way. "Just love. I realise it's a foreign concept to you, but he did it for love."

"Well, he is going to die for that love, Vala."

"You bastard!" Vala yelled and stood quickly to lunge at the evil man. How had she ever believed he was human? Before she could get to him, though, his guards grabbed her and held her back. She struggled to get free but it was a futile effort.

"Still so passionate." Potho said in a slimy tone, trailing a finger down her face. "I wouldn't mind having that fire in my bed again."

"Never." Vala said, spitting in his face. His hand came quickly around her throat and he leant close to her face.

"If I wish it, I will have you, my love." He released her and stepped back. "But first, I have an offer to make."

"What kind of offer?" she asked suspiciously, the words painful in her abused throat.

"I happen to have a Goa'uld healing device. None of my people have the ability to use it, but you do. If you give me the information I want, I will allow you to heal your Daniel. You need only capitulate to my wishes."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I realise that, as much as I would enjoy killing Dr. Jackson, it is not in my best interest."

Potho nodded to his guards and they let her go. Without a moment's thought, Vala went straight to Daniel. She pushed a strand of hair off his forehead and kissed the spot she'd revealed. Tears filled her eyes as she leant in to whisper in his ear. "I'm sorry, my Daniel." Remaining where she was, Vala stared straight at Potho. "No, I will not give you what you want. Not ever to save Daniel's life. You might as well kill me."

"As you wish, but first you will have to watch your love die before your eyes."

Vala swallowed hard but said nothing. She was just resigning herself to her fate when she felt the familiar tingle. Grinning, she waved to a shocked Potho before re-materialising on the bridge of the _Odyssey_.

"Impeccable timing, Colonel Davidson." Vala said weakly, unbelievably happy to see the Tau'ri commander.

"Welcome aboard, Miss Mal Doran." the colonel gave her a friendly smile but it faded as he took in the sight of Daniel. "Dr. Jackson?"

"Unconscious. You don't happen to have a healing device handy, do you?" she asked, subconsciously brushing at Daniel's hair.

"No, ma'am, we don't."

"Then I suggest we get him to the infirmary as quickly as possible." She barely finished the request before a med team appeared and coaxed her away from Daniel's side. As they lifted him onto a stretcher, Vala looked once more at Davidson. "How long before we're back home?"

"Little over an hour, ma'am."

Vala only nodded then followed the med team. She had a little more than an hour to make some very big decisions and she had no idea where to start.

()()()()

Creeping slowly through the Tau'ri complex, Arton stopped behind a corner when he heard voices.

"Kierda, listen to me." It was Colonel Carter. "You have to go with the SF, get to your quarters and lock yourself in. Cass and Zari are already there."

"But I want to help." came a child's voice. Taking a quick look, Arton discovered it was the girl he'd seen standing outside the room housing the Chappa'ai.

"The best way for you to help right now is to go. Please. If not for me, do it for Vala."

"But-"

"Kierda, the last thing your sister told me to do before I left her on that ship was to take care of you. Please, don't make me break my promise."

"Okay." the girl said after a moment.

"Thank you." Carter said. "Airman, take her straight to her quarters."

"Yes, ma'am."

Arton watched as the group went separate ways and chose to follow the child. One thought kept running through his mind; this was Vala's sister. Pulling out the zat he'd lifted from the guard he'd knocked out earlier, Arton crept out and aimed at the man. He fell to the ground and the girl turned with a gasp.

"Hello, Kierda." he said, walking toward her with the zat trained on her. He bent down and retrieved a pistol from the fallen guard and grinned menacingly. "My name is Arton and you are going to come with me."

"No!" she yelled and tried to run but he quickly caught her arm and held her against him, placing the gun at her temple.

"So much like your sister." He heard her gasp again and laughed. "Yes, I know that you are Vala's sister and I am going to use that to my advantage. You did say you wanted to help."

Kierda remained silent as Arton forced her to walk toward the gateroom. Only one thought played in her head; if Vala were here, none of this would be happening. Kierda sent up a silent plea for her sister, beckoning for her to return.


	23. Chapter 22

Lesson learnt: Never again will I take a vacation at the same time as my sister. Nor will I allow her to talk me into a day trip that lasts a week. Twice! Anywho, that's my excuse for not working on this story, just place all of you blame on the bad influence of my older sister (the supposedly responsible one). If the rest of the world only knew...Okay, I'm rambling again. On with the story!

* * *

**Chapter 22**

Sam raced back through the corridors of the SGC, relieved that at least the girls would be out of harm's way. There was no telling what would happen if the Alliance found out Vala had sisters. Knowing Cam and Teal'c had gone straight to the armoury, Sam made her way to the control room. She knew Arton would head for the 'gate and she wanted to be ready when he got there. When she entered the room, Jack and General Landry were already there. She nodded their way and moved over to the console.

"What's going on, Walter?" she asked the sergeant who was urgently pushing buttons on his own console.

"We've lost the video feed on levels 16 through 25. We're blind."

"What? That's impossible. How was he able to get into the system?" Sam pushed in a few codes but couldn't get the feed to come up.

"I don't know, Ma'am."

"Do we have any playback from the escape?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Walter brought up the recording from level 16 and everyone in the control room watched as Arton subdued the guard who'd, for some unknown reason, entered his cell. The man leant down, grabbed a zat and keycard, then took off down the corridor. They followed him by video until he disappeared into an unsupervised lab when suddenly there was static. Somehow he'd hacked into the system, but how? And where the hell was he now?

()()()()

Kierda obediently led Arton through the halls of the SGC, the gun at her back made certain of that. But while she wore the mask of cooperation, her mind was working over-time to figure a way out of this mess. They ran into little resistance and, when they did, Arton made quick work of disabling anyone who blocked their path. She hadn't been at all surprised when he brought out a keycard he must have lifted from one of the SFs. They were able to seamlessly weave their way through the SGC until they reached the corridor leading to the gateroom. The blast doors were closed and there was a small team of soldiers guarding it. Kierda wanted to call out, to warn them, but Arton pressed the gun deeper into her back.

"Don't even think about it." he warned, whispering close to her ear. "You won't get a single word out."

"And without me, you will have no leverage." Kierda replied fiercely.

"Smart girl." Arton smirked. "All right, have it your way."

Before Kierda could react, Arton had the gun against her temple and was pushing her forward. She screamed when he quickly moved the weapon from her head and shot the three marines then placed it back where it had been. Grinning menacingly, Arton stepped over the bodies and opened the blast doors. For the first time since being abducted, Kierda feared she wouldn't get away.

"Drop it, Arton, and let the girl go." came a familiar voice from the other side of the gateroom.

"Oh, I don't think so, Colonel Mitchell. You won't shoot me, not while I've got Vala's sister as a hostage." Cam's eyes widened as he realised Arton knew exactly what kind of power he held over them and the madman grinned again. Kierda felt him gesture around. "I suggest you call off your Jaffa and soldiers. We wouldn't want anyone to get hurt, now would we?"

Kierda saw Cam's eyes dart from the group of marines holding weapons on Arton to Teal'c then back to them. He looked defeated.

"Dammit, Uncle Cameron, just shoot him!" she shouted.

"I can't, Ki. I might hit you."

"I'm willing to take that risk."

"But I'm not." he told her as he lowered his weapon. "Stand down."

"Just as I expected. You Tau'ri are weak." Arton spat derisively and started walking backward to the ramp, facing the control room. "Ah, Colonel Carter, nice to see you again."

"Let her go." Sam said angrily.

"Not a chance. I am going to give you an address and you are going to dial. And don't even think about misdialling because I will kill her." He pressed the gun harder to her head for emphasis.

Kierda saw Sam look toward the generals and felt her spirits drop once more when they nodded. But something in her heart told her they had a plan. She just had to trust them. Taking a deep breath, she caught Sam's eye and gave her a trusting smile which she answered with a reassuring one of her own.

"Start the dialling sequence, Walter." Landry said. Walter nodded and did as ordered.

"You Tau'ri are smarter than I thought." Arton sneered as Walter called out the Chevrons.

Kierda was aware that Arton's focus was split between the soldiers in the gateroom and the Stargate so she knew he didn't see General O'Neill shift slightly to speak into a console. Whatever was said, though, was lost as Walter called out another Chevron, loudly. Kierda's eyes found Sam's and the woman gave her an almost imperceptible nod. The relief that flooded her was unlike anything she'd ever felt before. SG-1 was up to something. Suddenly a strange sensation filled her and her eyes widened in alarm. But when she saw the grin on Sam's face, she relaxed, even as she found herself transported onto the bridge of what she knew to be a Tau'ri spaceship and surrounded by more soldiers with guns. She wasn't going to question it as she felt Arton's grasp on her slip, apparently in shock, then someone kicked his gun away. She didn't even have time to figure out who it was as Arton roughly pushed her away and pulled out his zat. Kierda looked up from where she'd landed and into the smiling face of Vala. She wanted to rush to her sister but fought the urge. She really did not want to be shot, so she stayed exactly where she was, not moving a single muscle. It was enough to know Vala was alive and safe.

"Arton, looks like we've got you surrounded." Vala said sweetly, holding her own zat on the man.

"Vala, I should have known you'd escape. Potho always was too weak where you are concerned."

"Yes, well, he is a man, after all. Now, why don't you drop that zat and surrender peacefully?"

"Why? So I can become a Tau'ri prisoner again? I'd rather die."

"I don't know if you've noticed, but I am the only one here holding a zat. Everyone else, they're prepared to shoot to kill. Personally, I don't care either way, but the Tau'ri seem to believe whatever intel you have would benefit them."

"I'll never tell you anything." Arton spat fiercely.

"Have it your way." Vala said with a shrug just before she zatted him. Arton crashed to the floor and Vala looked up at the crew. "Better warn Area 51 that they're going to be having some company."

The man sitting in what Kierda assumed was the captain's chair snorted then turned to the man beside him. "Marks, contact the SGC then Area 51."

Kierda didn't hear anything else as Vala knelt before her and pulled her into a hug.

"Are you all right, love?" Vala asked as she pulled back and grasped Kierda's face in her hands.

"I'm fine now." Kierda caressed a hand down her sister's face, trying to be certain she was real, then pulled her back into a hug. "I'm so glad you're here. Don't ever leave me again."

"No, love, never. Never again." Vala said, hugging her tighter, and Kierda could hear the tears in her voice. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Suddenly a thought hit Kierda and she pulled back, looking around. "Where's Daniel?"

"He's here, but he's...hurt. You'll see him when we get back to Earth, okay?"

"Okay." Kierda said but she could see the worry and pain in Vala's eyes. There was more going on than she was saying but Kierda didn't push it. She was just relieved to have Vala back. With this thought, Kierda hugged her sister once more, never intending to let go again.

* * *

**A/N:** I hope this all seems plausible. Let me know what you think.


	24. Chapter 23

Got this one done a lot quicker than I'd expected. Hope you like it.

* * *

**Chapter 23**

Vala hated the infirmary. The sights, the sounds, the smells. Everything. But the thing she hated most was the waiting. As soon as they'd arrived back on base, Daniel had been rushed off. She'd quickly filled Carolyn in on what she knew of Potho's torture techniques but when she'd tried to follow, she'd been ordered to have herself and Kierda checked out first. An hour later they'd both been released and Vala had made sure Kierda was resting in their quarters before she returned to the infirmary. She'd gone straight to Daniel's bed, took his hand in hers, and hadn't left. That had been two hours ago. It worried her that he was still unconscious but Caro had told her he wasn't in a coma. His body was simply healing from the injuries he'd sustained and she had no idea how long he'd be out. She'd also given him something to dull the pain so Vala knew it would be a while. Now all she could do was wait. And think. She knew they had a lot to discuss once he was healthy again so she was using this time to put her mind in order. She wanted to be certain she didn't allow his vulnerable stated to dictate her actions. She still wasn't sure she could forgive him for putting her sister's lives in danger but she'd come to realise that she would have done the same thing if their roles had been reversed. The most important thing, though, was being certain she did what was best for the girls, no matter the outcome. With that in mind, her thoughts drifted to another decision she had to make. One that was solely hers. After her capture, though, she was finding the choice less and less difficult.

"How is he?" came a soft voice from behind her.

"He's sleeping right now." Vala smiled up at Sam. "Caro said it may be a while before he awakes."

"And how are _you_?" Samantha asked, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder and the gesture made Vala tear up.

"I don't know, Samantha. I said some awful things to him after you left. I told him..."

"Whatever it was, it can't be that bad." Samantha knelt in front of her and took her hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

"I told him I may not be able to forgive him for putting Kierda and Zari's lives in danger. And I'm still not sure I can." Tears started seeping out and Vala did nothing to stop them. She knew Samantha would understand.

"I can't say I fault you for that. But, Vala, you have to remember that Daniel loves you. And he loves your sisters. You can't hate him for wanting to protect you."

"That's just it, I don't hate him. I love him. But that only seems to complicate matters."

"It usually does, hon." Sam gave her an amused smile before continuing. "I don't want to see you throw away your chance at happiness. It wouldn't be fair to you or Daniel. And it wouldn't be fair to the girls, either. You all deserve better. Try to get past the hurt and focus on the love. That's what truly matters."

"I'm trying, Samantha." Vala said, squeezing Sam's hand and drying her eyes. "I'm really trying."

"Good. Now, I hate to break up this party, but I did have another reason for coming here. General Landry wants SG-1 in the briefing room in twenty minutes. Will you be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Let me put myself back together and I'll meet you there."

"Okay." Sam said and stood to leave. Before exiting the blonde glanced over her shoulder. "Remember what I said. Life is too short to live with regrets."

Vala only smiled and watched her friend leave the room. Yup, she had a lot to think over but one decision had just become crystal clear.

()()()()

Vala sat at the briefing room table, wide-eyed and slack-jawed at what she was hearing.

"You're saying my father was working with the government...as a spy?"

"Kinda blows your mind, doesn't it, Princess?" Cam said with a sympathetic smile. "Looks like Jacek had finally gone legit."

"But why? What was in it for him?" She couldn't help being suspicious. After all, this was Jacek they were talking about.

"According to my sources, he was being paid a fairly good sum." Sam told her reluctantly.

"So he did it for the money. Why am I not surprised?" Vala said bitterly then caught a look passed between Landry and Jack. "What?"

"I've got a few sources, too." Jack told her. "Someone _really_ high up said that the NID may have threatened to have you sent to Area 51 for some...alien experimentation."

"They what?!" Cam and Vala shouted at the same time.

"Yeah, apparently Jacek was reluctant to go up against the Alliance so they gave him...incentive. Bastards." Jack finished heatedly.

Vala sat back in her seat, speechless. Not only had Jacek been working for the good guys (ish), but he'd been doing it for her. How had she so completely misjudged her father? Actually, she knew the answer to that. She'd done it often enough herself. Jacek was a master at becoming what people expected to see. He knew how to play people, how to keep them from seeing who he really was. Herself included, apparently. And she'd fallen for it. She was going to have to re-think her entire relationship with her father and maybe she could finally let go of the anger and bitterness that had grown to be such a large part of her.

"I think that's enough revelations for one day." Landry said, breaking into her thoughts. "You're all dismissed. And, Vala, welcome home."

"Thank you, General." Vala replied with a grateful smile. "It's nice to be home."

Landry smiled then stood and left the room. Vala never left hers seat as the rest of her team gathered their things.

"Hey, Princess, we're going to go grab a bite in the commissary then go see Jackson. Wanna come?"

"Actually, I'll meet up with you guys later. I have something to take care of first."

"Sure." Cam said brightly but she could see the worry in his eyes as he, Teal'c and Jack exited.

"You gonna be okay?" Samantha asked as they both stood.

"Eventually." Vala pulled the other woman into a hug. "I wanted to thank you for being there for Kierda and Zari. And for me. It means a lot."

"Any time, Vala, you know that." Sam returned the hug then pulled back. "Listen, when you're done doing whatever it is you have to do, come see me in my lab. I have something I want to show you."

"All right." With a final squeeze to Sam's shoulder, Vala moved off into the corridor. Before she could second guess her decision, she knocked on the general's door.

"Enter."

"Do you have a minute?" Vala asked as she walked into the room. "I need to discuss something important with you."

"Have a seat." Landry said, putting aside the file he'd been reading and folding his hands over it. "What can I do for you?"

"I want to talk about my employment here." Vala paused to see the general's reaction and wasn't surprised as his prominent brows dove into a confused pucker. "You know I love being a part of SG-1, going on missions...finding treasure."

"Go on." Landry prompted with a slight quirk of the lip.

"I do love it, but I love my sisters more."

"You want to leave SG-1?" Landry's eyes grew wide.

"Yes, Sir."

"Have you thought about this? I know how hard you worked to earn your spot in the team."

"Yes, I have and I believe this is the best option for me. I'm not saying I want to completely give up going off-world, but I would like to limit it. Maybe work as a liaison for other teams. And Zari pointed out a few days ago that there are a lot of jobs that I already perform on base. I could continue to help out the scientists and make my weapons training classes a regular thing. I'll do whatever you ask, I just need to be close to home. Close to my girls."

"All right." Landry said slowly. "I'll look into it and we'll re-evaluate your job description in a few days. Just be sure this is what you really want."

"It is, Sir." Vala stood to leave then back-peddled, giving the general a quick hug. "Thank you."

Landry simply nodded and Vala left feeling as if one burden had been lifted from her shoulders.


	25. Chapter 24

Ah, back in my comfort zone: Pure, unadulterated angst. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 24**

Daniel awoke to the irritating sights, sounds and smells of the infirmary. Gods, he hated this place. Forcing his eyes to stay open against the glare of the fluorescent lighting, he took a quick glance around the room. He could see Teal'c and Mitchell at a table playing a card game and Jack was seated beside his bed. It didn't take long for him to realise that two people were missing and he shot up quickly, ignoring the pain all over his body.

"Where's Vala? Is she all right? Tell me she's okay." He knew his voice sounded panicked but, _dammit_, that's exactly how he felt at the moment.

"Whoa, sunshine, relax." Mitchell said, coming to stand next to him. "Don't worry, the princess is fine. Potho didn't hurt her...physically."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that the bastard's method of torture for _her_ was to listen to _you_ being tortured." Jack filled in.

"Oh, god." Daniel lay back with a thump. "I want to see her."

"You will." Mitchell assured him. "Last I heard, though, she was in a meeting with Landry. I'm sure she'll be here as soon as it's over. She never left your side the entire time you were unconscious. Not until she had to attend the de-briefing."

"How long?"

"What?"

"How long was I out?"

"Approximately five hours, Daniel Jackson." Teal'c replied.

"That's not accounting for how long you were out before the _Odyssey_ beamed you aboard." Jack said. At Daniel's confused look, he continued. "Yeah, you missed that part. It was a pretty cool rescue, I heard. Especially after Arton escaped and Vala zatted him."

"What?"

"It's a long story." Mitchell told him "Listen, Teal'c and I have a...uh...sparring session scheduled. We'll see you later."

"I am glad to see you have awoken, Daniel Jackson."

"Thanks, Teal'c." Daniel said with a suspicious glare in Jack's direction. The Jaffa simply nodded and followed Mitchell out. "Jack?"

"Daniel?"

"What's up, Jack?"

"Oh, you know, same old stuff. SG-1 gets captured, Vala hatches a plan, you do the noble thing, get tortured, rescued...Just a normal day."

"Jack!" Daniel yelled, getting frustrated. "You obviously got rid of Teal'c and Mitchell for a reason. What is going on?"

"You tell me. What the hell were you thinking putting, not only your life, but Vala's in danger by staying on that ship."

"I wasn't going to leave her alone with Potho. He's a madman! If my being there saved her from his torture, then I'm glad I did it."

"But it didn't save her, Daniel!" Jack exploded. "She had to listen to everything that happened to you without being able to see you, to help you. How do you think that made her feel? Wouldn't you call that torture?"

"Don't you think I know that?" Daniel returned angrily then suddenly deflated. "I know what I did was stupid but I couldn't do anything else. I couldn't..._can't_ lose Vala. I love her, Jack."

"Yeah, I got that. And I also get that you're all about the noble sacrifice but I think this time it did more harm than good."

"I think you're right. I did it so I wouldn't _physically_ lose Vala but I may have lost her _emotionally_." At Jack's confused look, Daniel continued. "Right after the rest of the team left, before we were separated, Vala and I argued."

"You guys always argue. It's what keeps you together."

"No, this wasn't like our other fights. Vala pointed out that I may have put Kierda and Zari's lives at risk by staying and giving Potho leverage over her. She's absolutely right. And the worst part is that I didn't for one second consider them. All I was focussed on was not losing Vala, about how it would tear me up inside. So much for a noble sacrifice. It was selfish and stupid and I wouldn't blame Vala if she never forgave me. She must hate me." Daniel looked down at his hands in defeat.

"Listen, Daniel, I don't think you're giving yourself _or_ Vala enough credit here. You've always been impetuous when it comes to the people you care about and Vala knows that. She also knows that you would never knowingly hurt anyone, least of all her sisters."

"I know, but-"

"No buts. Vala is a smart woman with a great capacity for forgiveness. She's going to need it, too, considering she's chosen to love you. Can I give you some advice, though?"

"Anything." Daniel said desperately, looking at his best friend.

"Don't push her before she's ready. She has to come to you. Everything will work out."

"Thanks, Jack." Daniel said sincerely, feeling the first bubble of hope he'd had in days.

"No problem. Now, I'm gonna go find some Jell-O. You want any?"

Daniel only shook his head and rolled his eyes at Jack's antics.

()()()()

"What did you need to see me about, Samantha?" Vala asked as she walked into the colonel's lab.

"Oh, Vala, I'm glad you're here." Sam said with a smile as she looked up from her computer screen. "Everything go okay with the general?"

"I think so. I'll tell you about it later." Vala said at Sam's expectant look. Her friend shrugged a little but let it go, much to Vala's relief. She wasn't quite ready to discuss her decision with her teammates, not until she knew exactly what was going on.

"Okay, you remember that data crystal Jacek had?" Vala nodded, taking a seat beside the blonde and Sam continued. "Well, I was able to get some of the information off before Agent Barrett took it. Part of that was a letter addressed to you. It's from your father. I thought you might like to see it. For the record, I didn't actually read it myself. It just didn't feel right."

"Thank you, Samantha." Vala said with a tear in her eye, grateful for the privacy. Sam handed her a printout of the letter and she took it shakily, moving to the other side of the lab to read it.

_Hey Kiddo,_

_ If you're reading this, I'm dead and you know you have two little sisters. I know I should have told you about them when I came to Earth, but I couldn't. You have a good life there, I didn't want to burden you any more. But now that I'm gone, it's up to you to take care of Kierda and Zari. I know you'll do a great job, a far better one than I ever did. I've never told you this before but you have your mother's soul. You are strong and beautiful just like my Caya. You inherited her generous heart so don't be afraid to share it with your sisters. They have so much love to give, just like you. I'm just sorry that I could never show it, to you or them._

_ As you already know, I've gotten myself into trouble. I'm working for your Earth government to take down the Lucian Alliance. I decided to start with Potho, knowing how much he's hurt you in the past. I wanted to make him pay. Unfortunately, I think Arton is on to me and I don't have much time. Hopefully the information on this crystal will help your team accomplish was I was unable to._

_ I want you to know one more thing. You may not believe this, but I swear it's true. After Adria sold you to the slavers, I tried to buy you back but you had already been sold to Qetesh. I worked for years to find someone to help me and came across a resistance. I'm still not entirely sure who (or what) they were. They called themselves the Tok'ra and assured me they could free you. I took their word for it and they did as promised. Once you were free, my plan was to bring you home but you'd run away before I could get to you. I can't say that I blame you, either. I'd decided to leave you be, knowing that my presence would have caused you too much pain, any way._

_ One more piece of advice from your old dad. Let go of your anger and bitterness to me. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but neither do you deserve to carry that burden with you. I'm going to die with regrets, I don't want you to do the same. Be happy, you deserve it. Kierda and Zari deserve it. Just remember the good times. I'm sorry I couldn't have been more of a father to you or your sisters. Don't make the same mistakes I did. They really are great girls. Please tell them that I loved them, just like I loved you._

_ Dad_

Vala wiped away the tears that were falling freely down her face and jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Folding the paper neatly, she placed it gently in her pocket and stood.

"Thank you, Samantha." she said, hugging the other woman.

"You're welcome. You gonna be okay?" Sam asked and pulled back a little, a worried crease on her forehead.

"Yes." Vala answered firmly with a genuine smile. "I think I'm going to be just fine."

As Vala left the lab and headed for her quarters, she knew she really was going to be okay. She was slowly letting go of the anger, hatred and bitterness she'd carried with her since she was a little girl. For the first time in too long, she felt she would be able to forgive her father and that gave her hope. Hope for herself, hope for her sisters. But most of all, it gave her hope that she could forgive Daniel.

* * *

**A/N: **One more chapter and an epilogue and this story is complete!


	26. Chapter 25

Last regular chapter! I'd planned to have this up days ago but I just didn't feel it was quite ready. I've gone back and forth on this one and it's been edited quite a bit from its original draft but I'm finally comfortable with it. I hope you guys like it, too. And don't forget to stick around for the epilogue! :D

* * *

**Chapter 25**

Daniel strode slowly up the walk leading to Vala's home as his mind whirred with what to say. Jack had told him to wait for her to come to him but he couldn't help himself. He had to see her. It had been a week since they'd returned to Earth, five days since he'd been released from the infirmary, and he'd only seen Vala once in that time. She'd visited him the day they got back and told him she'd requested time off so she could re-settle the girls. He hadn't faulted her for that, but it had been maddening no being able to see her, talk to her, touch her. He'd quickly grown tired of this state of limbo they seemed to be in and it scared him to think she held all of the cards. This wasn't about his life or hers. This was _their_ life and he was going to prove himself worthy of her forgiveness, no matter what it took. If he had to crawl on his hands and knees, he was going to have her. He just had to convince her that they could make it work.

Taking a deep breath, Daniel lifted a hand to knock on her front door when he heard a sound that made him smile. Little girl giggles penetrated the quiet air but it was the rich, soulful laughter of a woman that stood out to him. Vala. Leaving the front stoop, he followed the sound like it was a Siren's song. When he reached the backyard, he couldn't help the grin that lit his face at the sight before him. Vala, Kierda and Zari were standing in front of a newly planted flower garden, squirting each other with spray bottles. He could tell Kierda was attempting (and failing) to look annoyed by the childish antics while Vala and Zari wore twin grins of mischief as they aimed for their reluctant sister. His eyes focussed on Vala and he noticed she looked...lighter somehow. As if she'd let go of some of the burdens that had held her down from the moment he'd met her. It made him wonder what was in Jacek's letter that Sam mentioned. He also hoped that this lightness was a good thing for them.

As he stood staring, Vala's head suddenly shot up and she looked him square in the eye. It wasn't surprise he saw in their grey depths but something more complex.

"Daniel!" Zari yelled and launched herself into his waiting arms.

"Hey, sweetie." Daniel smiled down at the little girl. "How's it going?"

"Great! Vala showed us how to plant flowers. I like digging in the dirt, it's fun. And we found bugs and worms but Vala said they were outside pets. Daniel, what's an inside pet on Earth? Can we get one?"

"We'll see, Zar." Daniel laughed, hugging her tighter to him and kissing her forehead. Looking up, he noticed Kierda was standing off to the side, her gaze flitting between him and Vala. He gave her a reassuring smile and waved her over. She returned the smile as she walked over and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I missed you." Kierda said.

"I missed you, too, Ki." Daniel hugged both girls close and looked up at Vala. She had a watery smile on her face that only served to feed Daniel's hope for their future. "Vala."

"Daniel."

"We need to talk."

"Yes, we do." she agreed without hesitation. "Why don't you go into the house while I get cleaned up? I'll meet you in the living room."

Daniel nodded but didn't move right away. His gaze took in the people surrounding him and he vowed that, no matter what he had to do or how long it took, they were his fate.

()()()()

Vala stood in front of the bathroom mirror wondering how much longer she could stay in the room before Daniel came looking for her. Glancing at her watch, she figured not much longer. She'd already been "tidying up" for fifteen minutes. It was time for her to bite the bullet, as Cameron would say. One way or another, her fate was about to be decided.

Leaving the relative safety of the bathroom, Vala made her way to the living room. She stopped in the archway and smiled at the scene before her. Daniel was sitting cross-legged on the floor, Zari in his lap and Kierda peeking over his shoulder from her seat on the sofa, reading a book. She listened for a few moments and realised it was a book of folk tales. Daniel had the full attention of both girls as his voice rose and fell with each change in the story. She knew she could listen to his storyteller tone all day but as soon as he finished, she cleared her throat to announce her presence. Daniel looked up and smiled, making her think he'd been aware of her the entire time, just as she had been of him in the yard. Finally breaking eye contact, Daniel set Zari on her feet and rose, handing the tome to Kierda.

"Why don't you girls take this upstairs and look through it."

"Okay!" Zari exclaimed excitedly, pulling on her sister's hand and dragging her out of the room.

Vala watched them until they were out of earshot then turned back to Daniel. She'd had a week to think about this conversation but still had no idea what she was going to say. Thankfully Daniel took care of that.

"I missed you." he said and she knew he meant more than just this past week.

"I missed you, too. I would have visited, but-"

"I know, you had the girls. It's okay."

"No, it's not. The girls were just a convenient excuse. I could have made the trip to come see you, but I wasn't ready. I needed time to think."

"And have you had enough time?" he asked in a shaky voice.

"I believe so. Daniel, you know I love you."

"I know, sweetheart. I love you, too." Daniel's smiled softened.

"I know. I also love my girls and I can't imagine a life without all of you in it. I want you here, Daniel. I want to grow old with you. I want to be a family."

"I want that, too." Daniel said, coming closer and placing his hands on her arms. "But I'm sensing a "but" here."

"You're right, my Daniel." Vala placed a hand on his face and caressed his cheek. "_But_ I couldn't live with knowing you got hurt...or worse because you were trying to protect me. Your decision on Potho's ship, while noble, was also reckless and could have gotten us both killed. I can't go on missions worried that it's going to happen again."

"And I can't promise it won't happen again. I told you when we were on that ship that I whenever it's within my power to protect you, I will. I can't change that. I _won't_ change that. I can't lost you, Vala."

"I know, Daniel. I feel the same way. That's why I'm leaving SG-1."

"You're what? Vala, you can't-

"Don't worry, darling. I'm not leaving the SGC, just the team. I realised that my focus was divided on the last mission and it could have caused us even more trouble. Besides, I need to be here for my sisters. They need the stability."

"Okay, I understand that." Daniel took her hand from his face and grasped it tightly. "What about us?"

"I was serious when I said I want to be a family. But I need to know that we're in this together. You don't just take care of me and the girls, we take care of each other."

"I can agree to that as long as it goes both ways. No more putting yourself on the chopping block without discussing it with me first. You have no idea how scared I was when you'd decided to stay with Potho."

"Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea, darling." Vala smiled and kissed his cheek. "Don't worry, I think my days of spontaneity are over."

"Yeah, I don't think so. Besides, a little spontaneity is never a bad thing, you taught me that. I don't want you to change who you are, Vala. I fell in love with who you are. I just want you to remember that you are no longer alone in the universe. You have people who not only depend on you but will back you up no matter what. You have family now."

"I know, darling. I was on my own for so long, though, that I sometimes forget. I'm trying, I just need a reminder every once in a while."

"I think I can handle that job, if you'll let me." Daniel wrapped his arms securely around her waist as she draped hers around his neck.

"There's no one else I'd ask." Leaning up, Vala placed a chaste kiss to his lips but Daniel was having none of that. He pulled her in tightly and captured her lips in a passionate lip-lock that completely stole her breath. The kiss seemed to go on forever and it took Vala a few moments to realise the pressure of his lips was gone. When she opened her eyes, she found Daniel grinning down at her.

"That's a lethal weapon you have there, Dr. Jackson." Daniel only continued to grin. Suddenly they heard a noise and turned toward the staircase. Two sheepish faces looked back at them. "All right, girls, come on out."

"Didn't I tell you two to go upstairs?" Daniel asked in a firm voice but Vala could see the twinkle in them.

"Yes, sir." Kierda said with her head bowed, hands in pockets and scuffing the toe of her shoe into the carpet. "But we...um...Zari and I-"

"If we had gone upstairs, we couldn't have heard what you were saying." Zari interrupted with perfect logic.

"She's not wrong." Daniel conceded, holding in his laughter.

Vala snorted and rolled her eyes in response. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's not nice to spy on people?"

"Uncle Colonel Cam said it was okay sometimes. He even gave me this!" Zari pulled out a little mirror, the kind they used on missions.

"Remind me to speak to Cameron about appropriate gifts." she said to Daniel then turned back to the girls. "So, I', guessing you heard everything we said."

"Mostly." Kierda replied, no longer looking guilty now that she was off the hook. "Is it true you're not going on missions any more?"

"Sort of. General Landry and I have spoke about it and I'm going to be spending a lot more time on base. I'll still have to go off-world every now and again but never for long periods. How does that sound?"

"Yay!" Zari squealed in delight and jumped into Vala's arms.

Vala hugged Zari close and looked over at Kierda. They shared a smile and Vala knew she'd done the right thing. Waving her sister over, she wrapped her free arm around the girl. After a moment, she felt Daniel's arms wrap around her waist and Vala sighed in contentment. She revelled in the peace until Zari's head suddenly popped up from it's resting place on her shoulder.

"Does this mean you and Daniel are getting married?"

"What?" Vala asked in surprise.

"Well, in all the stories in Daniel's book, the prince and the princess got married and lived happily-ever-after."

Before Vala could respond, Daniel turned her in his embrace, his grin wider than ever. "Well, Princess Vala, what do you say? Wanna marry me and live happily-ever-after?"

"Well, it does seem to be tradition and who am I to buck that? Yes, I'll marry you, Prince Daniel." Vala smiled up at him, brushing a kiss to his lips.

"Yay, we're getting married!" Zari exclaimed and Vala laughed when Daniel took the child in his arms and spun her around.

"Yup, we're getting married."

Vala hugged Kierda close as she watched the scene. She felt a tear travel down her cheek. This was her family and she wouldn't have it any other way.

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**A/N: **I was hoping to have the epilogue done by now but it's giving me a little trouble. It'll likely be up by next week, though.


	27. Epilogue

This is it, I hope you guys enjoy the wrap up. This is especially for Tel nok shock, as she made the request. It's not a wedding but it's as close as I could get. Thanks everyone for sticking with me on this one. It was bumpy in places, but we got through it. Thanks for all the support and wonderful reviews, not to mention the fantastic ideas I was given when I had to write the action-y stuff. Did I say thank you already? lol Well, I'm going to say it again. Thanks bunches and I hope you all come back for my next story! Right now, though, I think I'm going to sleep for a week. :D

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**Epilogue**

Sitting alone at a corner table of the reception hall, Kierda's mind drifted to earlier in the day. Less than two hours ago, Vala and Daniel had been joined in marriage. She'd served as a junior bridesmaid and, once Vala had explained the significance of the position, she'd been thrilled. She'd never known such happiness as she'd felt while watching Vala and Daniel exchange vows, thereby solidifying their family. She'd only ever really had Zari and now she was surrounded by family. It made her feel truly safe for the first time in her life.

Coming out of her thoughts, she allowed her eyes to travel around the room. Zari was dancing with Teal'c and Kierda smiled at the sight. Her baby sister had always been a happy, outgoing child with a sweet disposition, but she'd only ever had Kierda to turn to. Now she received attention from so many sources and she seemed to be thriving for it. Teal'c made certain that neither of them felt ignored and he was always ready with sage advice. Next her gaze drifted to where here "Uncle" Cameron", "Aunt" Carolyn and "Grandpa" Hank stood talking. Extended family was a concept she was still trying to get used to. She didn't even know if her parents had any other family. She liked the idea of having people she could count on, people who would always protect her. On the other side of the room, she found Cassandra and Samantha giggling over the bouquet Cass had caught and scoping out the available men nearby. Kierda didn't quite understand the superstition that went along with it but it made her happy to watch them together, knowing she was welcome in their circle if she chose to join them. They both understood her in different ways and it was like having two more sisters around. Finally her attention settled on Daniel and Vala dancing close together in the centre of the dance floor, seemingly oblivious to everything and everyone around them. When she'd first met her sister, she'd recognised the burdens Vala carried, as she'd been the same. But they'd both slowly shed their encumbrances and started to live rather than simply exist. Kierda knew she'd never felt so free to just be herself and it was all due to these people.

"Care to dance?"

"I'd love to." Kierda smiled at Jack as he led her to the dance floor. She wasn't sure exactly where he fit in yet but she liked him. He was somewhere in between a big brother, crazy uncle and partner-in-crime. When the song changed to a tune called "The Funky Chicken" and Jack winked at her conspiratorially, she knew it was definitely the third one at the moment. She joined in his laughter as the rest of their strange group made their way to the dance floor. For the first time in her life, Kierda knew that no matter what happened, she wasn't alone. She had her family.

()()()()

Somewhere in Nevada, Arton sped away from Area 51 in a stolen ground vehicle as fast as possible. It had taken some time but he'd finally managed to escape confinement. He'd had plenty of time to think and plan, though and there was only one thing on his mind now: Revenge.

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**A/N:** I am planning a sequel but it's going to have to wait a bit. I really want to finish The Locket before the end of the year so that is going to be my main focus right now. I'll try to post oneshots and a few bit for my ongoing series, though. I just don't want to get tied down with another story until I complete that one.


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